Anything But
by RawSugarX23
Summary: AE. (Alternate Ending) Whose body did Petals-Open-To-The-Moon inhabit? Who was her human Host? Only Ian knew the answer. But the moment they brought her body in, he wished he hadn't known her as well. How will he deal seeing Wanda inside his ex-girlfriend's body? Will he be able to let Wanda know the truth?
1. The Requiem

**A/N: This is my very first fanfic. Please be nice. XD**

**Special Thanks to Cherry Tulips for encouraging me to write my very own fanfic - and hopefully, I'll be able to encourage her too to finish 'Nothing Better' and 'Never My Love'. (Yeah shameless plug for them, so check them out!)**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything about The Host and Twilight. I do, however, own the 3-Disc Special Edition 'Twilight' dvd.**

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**Ian POV**

_I don't care what she looked like. I just want her back.  
I don't care what she looked like. I just want her back._

That was my mantra for the days that followed Wanda's extraction from Melanie's body. It may have been days, weeks or months; I didn't know. I lost track of time since they left to find a new Host for Wanda. I refused to eat and my belly had ached constantly from the lack of nutrition until it altogether just stopped functioning. If my insides ate itself up from starvation, I didn't notice nor did I care. The pain coming from the general region of my heart was just too overwhelming that it shadowed any other physical pain.

I couldn't think of anything else but to have her back in my arms again. Well, I guess it seems like that was what I was doing right now, but it is very different having to do it through a cryotank. I yearned to see her expressions again; to hear the kindness that flowed through her words and actions. She made everyone here feel like we were truly human – in the true meaning of the word. Not the monsters we had all been before she came. How she could have thought that she didn't warrant a life here was beyond me. Out of all the inhabitants in this cave, Wanda was the one who most deserved it.

Was it really that despicable for me to love her? Was that the reason she preferred to be buried six feet under than to have me as a partner? I didn't want to think so.

As much as I wanted to be happy for Jared for getting his Melanie back, I just couldn't bring myself to accept the price it had cost Wanda. What it had cost me. In fact, I was actually jealous. Really jealous. I believed Wanda when she told me she loved me too. _Me_. But I guess she loved Jared more; or at least Melanie and her body did. It didn't matter to her what I wanted. As self-sacrificing as she was, she sure didn't think about what this would have done to me. What it could have done to me if she had gotten her way…

I shuddered at the thought.

"No." I muttered to myself, still cradling the cryotank with my Wanderer in it. I guess I should be thankful to Jared for saving her from the fate she had chosen.

Jared.

Lucky bastard got his girl back. Everything was perfect in his perfect little world. All that was missing was a house with the white picket fence. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair at all. How was it that every time I have let myself love someone, they immediately get taken away? I thought that streak ended with my parents. Guess I was wrong.

When they suggested finding her a new body, it gave me a new kind of hope; that maybe, I might get my perfect ending too. But when Melanie had asked me what kind of body I preferred, I couldn't answer her. To me, any body with my Wanda in it was more than I could ever ask for. And that was how my mantra came about.

I was crouched in my little corner of Doc's hospital, pondering all this, when I heard the voices coming through from the south tunnel.

"Ian! Doc!" I faintly heard Jamie yell. "We found her!"

I didn't look up. Whoever that woman they'd be bringing in, it still wasn't going to be Wanda until she was inside it. They had to be sure first that that body didn't belong to anyone else once they extracted the poor soul they had knocked out. That was going to take days. I didn't want to be attached to another body when it might be possible that the consciousness behind it was still alive. Wanda wouldn't like that. She didn't want to be a parasite anymore and she definitely didn't want to have to start all over like she did with Melanie.

But if the woman did wake up, I guess that's one more human freed from the imprisonment of a Soul. Jodi wasn't so lucky though. Poor Kyle.

I peeked from my lids to see Jared entering the curved entrance of the hospital cave carrying an unconscious little girl – or maybe she was a woman already, I couldn't tell. She had a halo of golden hair with a slight sheen of silver on her faint skin that was accentuated under the bright light of the solar lamps. I couldn't see her face clearly, and that was a good thing. I didn't want to hope yet.

"Ian?" Melanie called to me. She was walking towards me with a look that was both worried and excited at the same time. "Are you alright?" she asked.

I shrugged and said, "How else would I be?"

She sank down beside me and reached out for Wanda's tank. I jerked it away from her.

"Oh! Come on, Ian! Wanda's my sister too, y'know!" Mel complained. "You weren't the only one who almost lost her."

"No," was all I could say. I continued to stare at the faint red light at the top of Wanda's cryotank.

"Look," she started again, turning her body to face mine. "I know you don't care what body we got her but could you at least be a little more appreciative of what everyone else has done to make sure she stayed here with us? With you? I get that you don't want to be attached yet to the body just in case the human inside does wake up, but would it really hurt to take a look? Jamie and I think she's perfect! Even Jared seems to think so, too." Her voice suddenly getting more excited. "We didn't go anywhere near the State where you and Kyle grew up just to make sure we wouldn't be taking someone you might know." She cocked her head to the side to make sure I could see her, and she looked at me with that rueful smile that Wanda used to make.

When I didn't say anything, she continued, looking towards the girl who was now face down on the cot, "We went all the way to Seattle, stopping by every State in between, just to find her. She looks a little young but I think she's bordering 17 already, 19 at the most. Some girls just look way younger than their true ages nowadays. I didn't know what the percentage of life was as a Soul to be certain the body won't be occupied anymore so we didn't want to get someone around my age again." She nudged me and I had to chuckle at that. I definitely didn't want _that_ to happen again.

I finally glanced away from the cryotank and looked at Melanie. My heart still ached a little as I remembered the time when Wanda was still in control of that body – _her_ body. I repressed the urge to cup her face in my hand and feel her warmth radiate through my fingers.

I shook my head, trying to rid the thought that was starting to form in my brain. No, she wasn't Wanda anymore. She's Jared's girl now. Heart and soul; finally undivided.

I glanced up towards the cot, where the sleeping girl now lay. Her face was blocked by the view of Jamie's back. Jamie was holding her hands gently in his; probably already thinking it was Wanda all along in that body. Near the entrance, I could see Jared talking to Doc and Jeb, retelling the details of their recent raid. I also noticed the additional cryotank with the red light on top of Doc's makeshift desk.

"It's just a matter of time now," I muttered. "This will be a long couple of days."

"Her Soul's name was Petals Open To The Moon. Pet, for short. You sure you don't want to take a closer look?" Melanie asked. "She looks real pretty, almost like an angel," she added.

I sighed and decided to get up. My muscles ached so bad from sitting in that crouched position for too long. My joints popped and Melanie shot me a questioning glance.

"You sure you're still in your 20s, right? By the sound of your joints, it seemed like you're already middle-aged!"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, Stryder." I snorted. It was still awkward talking to Melanie. I wondered how long it would be before things wouldn't feel as strange anymore.

Melanie got up too and motioned for me to walk ahead. Still holding on to the tank with all my strength, I willed my feet to move one step ahead of the other.

As I got closer, I was able to see a little more of the girl's profile. Suddenly, I had this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. It might have been from the lack of food but I wasn't so sure. I didn't realize my hands were already shaking. Was I just nervous to see the body my Wanda would be in, probably for the rest of our lives?

When we finally reached the side of her cot, I gasped - too loud for everyone not to notice.

I stared at her face, disbelieving.

"Andrea?"

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**A/N (again): Please let me know what you gals/guys think. Reviews are my special brand of heroine; aside from video games.**


	2. Reminiscing

**A/N: Special thanks to xyz123 for giving me my first review. Thank you! Thank you!**

***Remember, this is an AU so a lot of things will be different. Different is nice, right? :) But don't worry, this is mainly an Ian flashback.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything about The Host and Twilight. She can own my Soul too if she wants.**

**Ian POV**

I could barely hear Melanie when she asked incredulously, "You _know_ her?"

Jared, Jeb and Doc came up to us; all three of them wore the same looks of curiosity. My mind was in a haze. I didn't know what to say, or where to start. I continued to stare at her, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. I closed my eyes and shook my head once to try and clear my head and my vision. When I opened them, nothing had changed. As still as the air around us, she continued to lay there with the same relaxed expression that I will never forget. This was the face of the woman who was the first to touch my heart so many years ago. Melanie was wrong; she was much older than 19 even though her baby face clearly showed otherwise.

Of all the Hosts they could have selected for Wanda, did it have to be her?

My thoughts ran towards a time not so long – my last few months of being a carefree human.

_---------------_

_College life was the bomb! Girls, beer, parties and soccer. What more could one ask from life? I was just in my Sophomore Year and was already appointed Co-Captain for the Varsity Soccer squad. Of course, I was still outshone by my big brother, Kyle – the Captain. I didn't mind being in his limelight. Us, soccer players, still garnered more admiration from the entire female student body than the whole Football team. Whenever we practiced, there would always be a handful of girls watching us in the stands. Unlike football players with their helmets and all their gear, we could go about our practices with nothing more than shorts and cleats. Running around the field with our shirts off was actually a necessity. We sweat a lot and it was practically uncomfortable when our shirts started clinging to our chests. Ok, maybe not _that_ uncomfortable, but definitely rewarding in its own way. Just looking at the faces of the girls in the bleachers was enough to make us want to practice every single day._

_Kyle could care less about them. He was already dating Jodi, the head cheerleader. If we were back in high school, they would have been considered the 'IT' couple. It was funny watching Kyle when he was around her. His tough guy act never flew with her. A dog on a leash – that's what I'd tease him; but only when she was around. I'd have my ass handed to me on a silver platter if I so much as thought about it. He said that would ruin his bad boy persona if I mentioned that to anyone else._

_As for me, I never stuck to a single girl for so long. None really held my attention for more than a fortnight. All of them were the same - shallow, always eager and ready to get inside your pants by the end of the first date. That wasn't the type of girl I wanted to be around with. I wished I would find my Jodi too. Probably college wasn't the place to find one. They seem to only breed wild party girls here._

_It was close to 2 o'clock in the afternoon when I finally woke up after partying all night at the frat house. My head was still spinning from a massive hangover. My roommate, Andrew, had already left for his Saturday class. What a dork! But he was an _awesome_ dork. On the outside, Andrew and I were total opposites. I was tall, cut, and have really dark hair that was constantly cropped short. He, on the other hand, was more than a foot shorter than me; never lifted a dumbbell in his life; and his hair was a messy golden nest on top of his head. He wasn't into sports like I was – what with being raised by the social elite of Manhattan's upper east side. He couldn't tell between the Yankees and the Jets. But on the inside, we were practically the same. Smart, caring, dependable and completely trustworthy people. We were the perfect wingmen - always on the sides, never in the spotlight._

_Other than Kyle, Andrew was the only other person who really knew me inside and out. He knew of the reputation I had to keep up for Kyle's sake. The big oaf didn't want to be associated with a loser for a brother. And so, everyday, I would put on the charade of the 'stereotypical jock' that everyone associates with the O'Shea brothers._

_It was Spring Break. Finally! The last couple weeks were a nightmare. Exams up to our necks, mountains of paperwork due, all crammed into one Hell Week. I'm glad that's over for now. I really needed to drink last night hoping to siphon out all that information from my brain. But as I got up, I began to realize that consuming a whole bottle of Jack Daniel's wasn't a good idea after all. I staggered out of bed, trying to hold onto anything to keep me steady, and walked towards the fridge to grab a bottle of water. As I reached for the handle, I noticed a big yellow post-it note stuck on the front with my name on it._

_It read, "Ian – PLEASE, PLEASE clean up your side of the room. If you haven't forgotten, my twin sister is coming in today!"_

_Crap. I looked around the room. Andrew's side was already immaculately spotless. But then again, his mom had hired a professional maid to come and clean it every two weeks. I've never heard of a maid service being sent over to a frat house before, until I met him. Too bad he had to room with me and deal with my mess. I should have offered to pay his maid to clean my side this week too. After our exams, paper, books and empty pizza boxes were strewn all over my side of the floor._

_I grabbed a large black garbage bag from beside the fridge and started picking up my casualties of war. I was still stuffing the third pizza box into the bag when I heard the ruffling of keys outside the door. Sweet! Andrew can help me clean up my mess!_

_The door opened a little and I heard a soft angelic voice call out, "Andrew? You in here?"_

_I've heard that voice a million times through the voicemail machine. Dammit! I just barely started cleaning, too! Andrew was going to kill me if his sister was already here and our room still looked like the remnants of WWII. I should have set my alarm clock this morning. Once again, I cursed Jack Daniels._

_As she walked through the door, the sight before me had me rooted to the floor. Okaaay… I thought it was his twin sister who was coming to visit, not his waaay younger sibling. This girl before me looked barely in her teens! She had the same golden blond locks that fell in elegant waves past her shoulder. Her skin was pale, with a slight silver undertone. Her big round eyes were grey, a handful of freckles scattered around the bridge of her nose, and her lips were full but still shaped like a baby's. As my eyes moved from her tiny heart-shaped face down to her slender frame, I quickly noticed she was dressed just like all the preppy college girls around here._

"_Oh, I'm sorry. Hello, you must be Ian. I believe we spoke a couple times on the phone. Andrew has told me a lot about you," she said while extending her right hand towards me._

_I reached out from behind the garbage bag to shake hers but suddenly pulled back realizing my hands were still grimy from handling the pizza box. If she was indeed his twin sister, I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate shaking a dirty hand. I simply gave her a wave, making sure she saw the oil glistening in my palms._

_She took her hand back and smiled at me, waiting for me to say something._

_It took me a couple seconds before responding, "Oh, right. How rude of me. Andrea, right?" She nodded, looking at me with the sweetest smile I've ever seen. "Umm, yeah. Your brother is still in class. I think he gets out around three. Would you like to wait for him here?"_

"_Yes, if you don't mind. I know I'm a little early but my flight came in earlier than expected."_

"_Huh! That's a first! Flights were always delayed during peak season." I laughed sarcastically. I motioned for her to have a seat by our little dining corner while I put the garbage bag away. I caught her staring awkwardly out the window and her cheeks were blushed scarlet. I wondered what got her all acting strange when I remembered I was only wearing boxers. I was too groggy when I woke up this morning – or actually, afternoon - to think about putting on a shirt and changing into jeans. I hurried to the sink to wash my hands and darted to the closet. I grabbed the first pair of jeans I could find and pulled a shirt from the top shelf._

_When I walked out of the closet, her head was bent down so low that I could barely see her face. She was playing with the strap of her purse, trying to distract herself._

"_Ummm…sorry about that. I, uh –"_

_She glanced up and interrupted me, "Oh, no, no. Don't apologize. It was my fault for letting myself in without knocking and not giving you a chance to put on some clothes. Andrew had given me an extra set of keys and I didn't think anyone was in the room since it was locked." Her cheeks turned several shades darker. Cute. I've never seen anyone blush that much._

_I ran my hand through my hair and slid the other inside my jean pocket. "Don't sweat about it. It's not like I was naked or something," I stammered. Damn! What made me say that? Obviously, the alcohol was still affecting me. "So, uh, can I offer you something to eat while you wait?" I asked, desperate to change the topic._

"_No, don't worry about me. I ate in the plane. But thank you, though," she replied._

"_But don't they only offer peanuts and a cup of soda in the plane?" I questioned. Surely this girl isn't on some kind of diet. She needs a little more meat in her bones._

"_They offer a full meal in First Class," she responded; but looked away again as the color started coming back to her cheeks. She wasn't comfortable disclosing that. Andrew and her were so alike in that aspect. They have been raised with a silver spoon all their lives but yet, they were uncomfortable talking about it with anyone else. Wealthy, yet humble. Another thing I've never seen in my life._

_The silence was a little awkward in the room. Luckily, Andrew came in through the door. When he saw his sister sitting on the dining chair, he immediately dropped his backpack on his bed and sprinted toward her and gave her a big welcoming hug. He hugged her for a long time before releasing her._

"_Andrea! I didn't expect you till later! How was your flight? I see you've met my disaster of a roommate. Pardon his mess. Apparently he didn't get all my reminders throughout the week that you'll be arriving today." He shot an accusatory glance in my direction._

_I rolled my eyes. It was as if he didn't go through exam week like we all did._

"_My plane arrived early. I know we were supposed to meet at the café down the street but I wanted to surprise you in your room. I thought I'd try to catch you doing something mom and dad wouldn't approve of," she explained with a sly smile on her face. So that's why she didn't knock. I wonder what else she caught him doing before. It was his turn to roll his eyes._

"_Like you've ever caught me doing anything stupid, Drea," he smirked._

"_There's always a first," she chuckled._

_As I looked at the siblings in front of me, I couldn't help but notice how identical they were. They were both almost the same height, Andrew just edging by a couple inches; their hair the exact shade of gold; and when their hands were holding each other, you almost couldn't tell where his skin ended and hers began. Freaky._

_While they were catching up with each other, I slumped back into my bed and crossed my arms over my head. She stole a shy glance at me. I met her stare and smiled. Her eyes widened – like a deer caught in headlights - and immediately looked down. I caught a glimpse of her tomato-red cheeks just before she let her hair cascade in front of her, effectively covering her entire face._

_---------------_

"Ian? IAN!" Jamie was waving his hand in front of my face trying to get my attention.

A painful smack on my shoulder jerked me back to reality.

"Ow! What was that for?" I complained.

"You've been standing there for the past five minutes with a blank look on your face. I wasn't sure if you went into shock or something," Mel said shrugging her shoulders.

"You didn't answer the question, Ian," Jared said. His eyes narrowed. "How-Do-You-Know-Her?" Each word - a separate sentence; emphasized like he was talking to a kindergartener.

I sighed.

This was going to be a long night filled with questions and painful explanations.

**A/N: Once again, please do review even if you like it or not. If there are parts you disagree with, please let me know. My imagination is just running wild at the moment and I need to be brought back down to earth eventually. Hope that didn't come out too weird for anyone. I know, Ian in college, right? Well, they had to belong somewhere before the invasion and college was the first thing that came to mind.**


	3. Numb

**A/N: I would like to thank the following for taking a moment from their precious time to write those awesome reviews: TeamIanandEdward, kimmitwilight and 123xyz. You all rock!! If I could, I'd mail you each a big bear hug -minus the bear, of course.**

**But my special thanks go out to Cherry Tulips. Girl, this fanfic is for you. Even if you were the only one reading this, I still would have continued to write more chapters. =)**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns The Host but I do own the audiobook version of it.**

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Ian POV**

I gazed at the faces of the people who stood around me – worry and anxiety were evident on their expressions. They sensed the discomfort that was radiating from every bone in my body and I knew I couldn't delay the inevitable. They would know soon enough.

But not with Jaime around. I looked at him and said, "I think you've had a long day, kid. Why don't you go rest or eat something?" I glanced at Mel hoping she would understand the necessity of leaving Jaime out of this. I knew as well as she did that this was not a conversation for young minds. That, and the fact that I didn't want to feel vulnerable around him.

"Ugh!" Jaime complained. "I'm not at all tired! Why do I have to be left out of these things? I'm not a kid anymore!" He tried to jut out his stubborn chin at us but it only made him look even younger.

Mel shook off his rebuttal. "Maybe next time, Jaime. Go and get some rest," she said; ruffling his already untidy hair.

"Or maybe take a bath first. You sorta smell a bit, sport." Jeb said crinkling his leathery nose.

Jaime rolled his eyes and quietly left the room. The kid really is more of a man now. None of us just wanted to admit it yet.

After I made sure Jaime was out of earshot, I went and leaned against Doc's desk while everyone else took a seat at the nearby cots. Kyle wasn't in the hospital anymore. Sunny had already been reinserted into Jodi's body and he had taken her to get some rest in Walter's old room. They barely could fit in there but it was still better than the cots in the hospital. He already knew this story, anyway.

I closed my eyes and began massaging the bridge of my nose with my fingers. Where to start? I hoped she didn't wake up while I'm retelling my story. In fact, I don't even know if I want her to wake up. Not yet, at least. As much as I wanted Wanda to be reinserted, as much as I wanted her back , and as much as I didn't care what body she was placed in, I silently wished, 'anything but this…..'

Trying to keep my voice steady, I started by asking, "Where, exactly, did you find her?"

Jared was the one who answered. "We drove all the way to Seattle. We tried every town from here to there, checked practically all the parks and suburbs. Some would fit the part a little but none really screamed 'Wanda'. Mel wouldn't settle for a compromise."

Seattle? "Perfect," I muttered sarcastically. I should have told them not to look in Seattle instead of just sulking in the corner for god knows how many days. But I didn't know if she was still alive or if her body still resided there. Was this just coincidence? Fate? Or some sick twisted joke that's being played on my life? What are the odds? So many questions of my own but I knew I had to answer theirs first.

I took a deep breath before telling them my story.

"Before the invasion began, or more like, before we realized we were living in a real life Body Snatchers movie, I was attending university through a Soccer scholarship. Andrew Kempner, my frat brother and roommate, had a twin sister – Andrea. They were from Manhattan; lived there all their lives. Filthy rich family but Andrew – or Drew, as we sometimes call him – was never fond of that lifestyle. He decided to attend some not really known university while his sister preferred to go Ivy League. Always thought she was this rich, obnoxious socialite like the ones you read in the tabloids. Drew and his sister were nothing like that. I wouldn't let him live it down if he got all snotty on me. I was still in my sophomore year when I first met her. Never even saw a picture of her till that day she walked into our room. Drew was a little possessive of her, you can understand why. Both men and boys were instantly drawn to her like magnets. But in the end, she chose me. She'd visit every weekend without Drew knowing about it. He would have killed me if he knew I was dating his sister. He knew of my past exploits with women, the one night stands especially. I was young and reckless. Tell me who didn't let go just a little bit on their first taste of freedom?"

I chuckled quietly, remembering my first experience with Jack Daniels.

"I was different around her, though. I really cared about her more than I thought possible. Thought I'd finally found my Jodi in her. We had to sneak around, like little kids hiding from our parents. She'd time her visits with Drew when she knew I had a game that weekend. That summer, I fabricated a lie for Kyle and our parents that I had intended to stay around campus to find a job somewhere or volunteer to coach some little league soccer team. Little did they know, Drea and I planned to stay together at her parent's cabin in Seattle. We knew we were moving too fast, but we simply didn't care. Weekends weren't enough anymore. But as fast as we were taking this relationship, we've never gone as far as third base. She was still a virgin and her first time should be special. The cabin would have been perfect."

Before continuing, I took two deep breaths to calm my already shot out nerves. _'Wow,'_ I thought to myself. _'Never thought I'd ever have to go back to this place again._' Guess whatever you try suppress always finds a way to come back out. And with that, I let go.

"She went ahead a week earlier to get the place ready. Even had her personal maid go with her to stock up the place. She was thorough like that. On the day I was supposed to leave for the cabin, Kyle bursts into my room, yelling about some crazy alien invasion and that they've taken over mom and dad. Of course I thought he was plainly nuts. He just told me to get in the car and he'll explain on the way. When he told me about how our anti-social parents were hosting parties almost every day, how they weren't screaming anymore when they were talking to him on the phone, and how Jodi suddenly got a call from her parents that they wanted to meet him. They never approved of her dating Kyle. So when they, out of the blue, just call her to go come visit with Kyle, he knew something was up. He had driven us cross-country already before I realized that Andrea was still in the cabin. I tried to get in touch with her but since the cabin must be miles out of the nearest cell site, my calls couldn't go through. There was a landline number but I didn't know what it was; restricted like all their other numbers. I prayed every night she would call. I begged Kyle to take me to the cabin to get her but he said if she doesn't call, she wasn't there anymore. I fought with him the entire ride; even tried to catch a cab every chance I could. But somehow, he always found a way to drag me back in to the car. That was a year before we stumbled into Jeb's cave. I didn't know what ever happened to her."

I stopped there to look up at the ceiling, past the holes, to the three stars that faintly lit the night sky. Tears were starting to form in my eyes, threatening to spill. I tried to blink them away along with the pain that was slowly resurfacing from memories long buried in the recesses of my mind. This was the burden I carried with me to the caves. Kyle thought it was the loss of our parents that I mourned for. No. It was for her. My hatred for the souls was for her – the same hatred that erupted like wildfire when my hands were strangling Wanda's neck.

I violently shook the image from my head. My hands shook as they clutched her cryotank fiercer than possible. I reminded myself that Wanda is my present; and if she wished, my future too. So why did it feel like my past would refuse me my happy ending - like that single broken bulb that prevented the rest from lighting up too?

You could hear every single breath that was expanded in the room. None spoke for the longest time and it was Doc who finally broke the silence.

"Well…I guess we all have our stories. But this sure doesn't help Wanda's case. Any moment that girl could wake up. Or not."

"True," Jeb agreed. "But this is all on you, Ian. My rule still stands. What do you propose we do? If she wakes up, we sure as hell can't use her as a Host. That, I'm positive of! But then again, if she doesn't - ," His thoughts trailed off.

I knew exactly what he meant. And so, with evident confusion, I answered, "I don't know."

"Ha. Just when we thought she was perfect. Should have known…." Jared commented.

"You still love her, don't you?" Mel interrupted.

"No, of course not! Wanda is my life now and there's nothing I want more than to have her back. She took my heart with her when she got herself extracted from you!" I almost yelled at Mel.

"Shut it, Ian! We all knew it was Wanda's decision, not Mel's. Stop blaming her just because you weren't able to stop her from doing what she wants!" Jared argued back.

"Cool it, boys," Jeb's flat voice called out from outside our tense bubble. "That's not the issue at the moment. What to do with the body, now that's what we need to think about first."

"That's not just _a_ body, Jeb," I almost sneered.

Mel's eyebrow shot up as she crossed her arms in front of her.

"What I mean is, if you knew any of the humans that we brought back for Doc, would you have treated them the same? What would you have done if we brought back Magnolia's body for Doc to experiment on?" I asked.

I saw Doc wince from the corner of my eye.

"I guess you have a point there," Jeb agreed. "So, what now?"

"There really isn't much to think about, Jeb," Jared answered. "Right now, we wait - it's either she wakes up or not. If she does, let's just hope she doesn't remember Ian at all and not make this situation any more awkward than it already is. But if she doesn't, then Ian will have to make a choice. Would he be comfortable enough to have Wanda inside his ex-girlfriend's body, or should we reinsert Pet in her and hope she doesn't run to the Seekers? Or we could just discard it altogether."

Everyone looked towards the sleeping girl in the cot.

'_Please don't wake up,' _I wished silently.

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A/N: Ok, ok. Please don't kill me! Ian is still very much in love with Wanda and nothing will change that. I'm just adding a little spice in their life. *wink***

**Please review so I know how I'm doing. PLEASE, PLEASE Pretty, Please?**


	4. Somewhere I Belong

**Chapter 4: Homecoming**

**A/N: To Rjalker, i-love-you-taylor-lautner (had to replace the dots with dashes, FF is weird that way), kimmitwilight, and Cherry Tulips for your amazing reviews! You really inspire me to keep writing!**

**Special mention to xXDreamWriterXx (my Silent Reviewer) from TwilightersAnonymous. The gals over there are simply amazing! You can't find a better place to bond with fellow Twilight & Host addicts than at TA.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything about The Host, including Ian O'Shea. Lucky woman! **

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Ian POV

It had been a long day; and it seemed like the night would be just as long. Jeb may have given me reprieve from chores this week, but I would have welcomed the muscle aches and back pains over the emotional stress this situation has put me in. Of all the rotten luck.

Jared was right. I see only three possible outcomes - each one more uncomfortable than the next.

Jaime was sound asleep on the mattress beside me. I had been laying on mine - just staring at the cracks on the ceiling - ever since we came back from dinner. It gets unbearably hot inside these caves at night and I still haven't lost the habit of sleeping in my boxers. I wonder how it'll be when Wanda and I will finally share this room together – being able to cradle her in my arms and finally feeling the warmth of our bodies against each other. I tried to imagine this but all I could see was just me and a silhouette of her. Her face was no clearer than seeing my own reflection across a muddy pool.

Desperate to get even a couple minutes of sleep, I thought of Wanda; of memories past when she was more than just a shadow.

I woke up to loud voices around me. Kyle's was the loudest. I peered across the room to see who he was arguing with. Jared and Melanie, of course. Now that she's back, I'm surprised she hasn't tried to kill him yet.

"It's still Ian's decision!" Kyle shouted.

"Don't you think I know that? But _Ian_ obviously hasn't gotten over this chick and I am, sure as hell, not going to subject my sister to that again!" Mel yelled back with almost the same volume.

"Look, Mel. It almost took us a week to find this one. We can't really go out and stumble across another 'perfect' host again, hoping it is silent, and discard this one just like that," Jared said quietly, trying to calm her.

Wiping the sleep off my eyes, I asked groggily, "What the hell is all this about?"

"S'about time you woke up. Sunny is close to waking up any minute now and probably going to go berserk if she doesn't find me in the room," he bellowed carelessly. "Let's just say, Ian. You aren't the quietest sleeper nowadays. Do you even notice when you start yelling in your sleep?"

"I…..what?"

And there was that accusatory look from Mel again. "Do you honestly think that we'd be upset if you were only yelling Wanda's name? We understand your story, Ian, and we're sorry we brought in the last person you would have wished for Wanda to be inserted in. But when you start yelling someone else's name in your sleep, now I have a personal problem with that."

"Andrea?" I asked incredulously, propping myself up on my elbows.

"No. Jeb. Of course, Andrea, you idiot! Are there any more names we don't know about?" Mel exclaimed sarcastically.

"I can't really control what I say when I sleep, Mel. But know this, should nothing else in this world matter, Wanda will still own my heart. And if, indeed, I was yelling in my sleep, how would you know I wasn't having a nightmare but simply projecting what was in my subconscious?"

She didn't answer but glared at me instead. I slipped off my mattress and stood up to face her.

"Look, I almost lost her just a week ago! How can you even think that? Just because you come home bringing my ex-girlfriend doesn't mean I'll fall right back in love with her again. Just because I may, or may not, have yelled her name in my sleep doesn't mean I'll choose her over Wanda. A week ago, Kyle told me I was mumbling for Doc in my sleep. Did that mean I was in love with him too?"

"Gross," Kyle interjected.

"No," I went on, "because I was only yelling for him not to take Wanda out." And now that I was already seething with pain and anger, I added, "Do you think any of you would be alive right now if she succeeded with her original plan? I only let it go because Jared, somehow, was able to save her. So don't be too quick to judge."

I could see the impact my words had on her. She stood rooted to the ground with her fists clenched. Jared was beside her with his hands on her shoulders, restraining her. Kyle simply leaned against my dresser with his arms crossed, looking like I hadn't said anything at all.

"Touch luck, bro. Only you could stick yourself in a situation like this," Kyle mused.

"You're one to talk, _bro_. At least I didn't go around searching for her like you did Jodi," I retorted.

"Well, Jodi isn't my ex. Do you see me worrying all day and yelling her name at night? Yeah, you don't, do you?"

Jared finally interrupted our standoff. "Have you decided anything yet, Ian?" he asked.

I shook my head. "It's not about what I've decided but what I'm going to be comfortable with. And none of them appeal to me right now. The perfect body couldn't have been any more _un_-perfect. But I'll take what I can get at this point. One more minute away from Wanda is a minute too much. I have to get her back now. I'll deal with the repercussions later."

"Don't worry, Ian. It couldn't be any worse than what we all went through with Mel here," he chortled. "Ow! What gives?" he asks her, rubbing the spot she elbowed him at.

Kyle and I just snorted.

After looking around at everyone and realizing I was the only one still in my sleeping boxers, I finally said "Unless you all want to be my audience while I get dressed, I suggest you all go back to your rooms. Please."

Kyle and Jared took this as their cue to leave. But before Mel did, she tried to reach for Wanda's cryotank beside my bed.

Knowing I couldn't stop her from grabbing the tank by sheer force, I asked her a question instead, "Tell me something, Mel. How did it feel when Wanda fell in love with Jared too?"

It was a while before she spoke. And when she did, her voice was no louder than a whisper, "That was my fault. I was so blinded by my desperate need to find him again that I, too, did not realize what it had done to Wanda. That was the double-edge sword, I guess. In the end, it ended up hurting us both." Then looking up at me, she added, "Okay, and maybe it hurt you, too."

"Maybe?"

"You know what I mean," she answered weakly.

"Jealousy is a powerful thing, isn't it? Please don't think I'd want Wanda to have to go through that again," I assured her. "And just because I start reminiscing about my old life doesn't mean I want to relive them again. They're just memories. It was horrible what I did to Andrea and I admit, sometimes it still haunts me."

"If it isn't at all awkward already right now, I shudder to think when Wanda comes back. Thanks to me, her feelings for Jared will still be there. Just because she's changing Hosts, doesn't mean she'll easily forget. I do wonder though…..." and her thought broke off.

"Wonder what?"

"Ian, do you think Petals Open To The Moon ever accessed Andrea's memories too?"

"I wouldn't doubt it. Her last memories are probably full of hatred of me for leaving her at the cottage. Kind of egotistical of me but should our roles been reversed, I would have held a grudge too. I just worry how much of that Wanda will see."

"We don't have too long to wonder. It _is_ the third day," Mel said, her voice suddenly lighter.

And I had to smile at that. It _was_ the third day; and if Andrea hasn't woken up yet, she wasn't coming back anymore. "Time to visit Doc?"

"I'd go with you but I'm kind of hungry. Jared and Jaime are probably already at the kitchen right now grabbing breakfast. I'll follow you to the hospital right after," Mel said, heading for Wanda's tank again.

This time, I grabbed her hand to stop her. "Don't," I half growled.

"Fine," she grunted and jerked her hand away. "I'll tell Wanda about this when she wakes up."

"You _do_ that," I smirked.

She rolled her eyes before heading for the door.

I put on the first things I could grab from my dresser. Clutching Wanda's tank, I all but flew towards the south tunnel; ignoring the curious and irritated stares of the people I passed. This was a welcome change to the lazy walk I've apparently adopted for the past couple of weeks. How long has it been since I felt these muscles burn? The halls were half full of people going about their day. The fields have all been plowed, seeded and watered and there was not much left to do but wait. Just like me. All of us were waiting for something.

I steadied my pace when I reached the threshold of the Hospital cave and called out to Doc.

"Oh! Good morning, Ian" Doc greeted me from behind his desk.

"Any changes?" I inquired.

"No. Andrea still hasn't shown any signs of waking up. Have you decided anything yet?" he asked.

"How much longer can we wait?" I answered back with a question of my own.

"Not much longer. I'd say, less than half a day at the most. We shouldn't delay any more than we have to. We don't have IVs in here and there is no other way to get nutrition inside her. Her condition will start to deteriorate soon."

"Did Mandy say anything about the probability of the Host coming back once we reinsert Wanda?"

"She doesn't have an answer. Honestly, I don't think both sides ever encountered anything of this sort. The Souls wouldn't have tried to test out the possibility of this happening; they would have automatically discarded the human body. And as for us, we only have Lacey, Mandy and Sunny as results. Sunny had been in Jodi for six years and we don't know if she's ever coming back. I don't know how long Pet was in her to be certain she won't come back either. Time will be our answer."

"Then, I guess, it's about time we welcomed Wanda back home."

That was the first time I saw Doc smile again since that fateful night.

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**Wanda's POV**

The beginning did seem like the end. But I didn't expect to find any more beginnings; not now, not when I knew I had given it all up. This was all so very strange. But as confusing as everything was at the moment, I succumbed to the memory like it had been all mine to begin with.

_Melanie? It was strange seeing her face – or was it my face? She was speaking _to _me, but why would she be? I was her, or I used to be her, I think. And Jaime and Jared? I knew their faces but I didn't know why. I wondered what they were doing here. Was this her memory? Last thing I remembered was the scent of raspberries and a hard grip on my hand. Then, came nothing. Everything was pitch black as it was when I first went under. Was this the end now? Was that my final goodbye? _

Then I heard a voice calling out to me; a soft, yet very deep voice. Well I thought it was calling out to me but the name was not mine. I am Petals Open To The Moon. Pet. That's what Cloud Spinner calls me.

So why does the name, Pet, seem so unfamiliar as well?

A warm calloused hand touched my face and something unexplainable happened. My body trembled to its touch and it burned from where his fingers stroked it. It was a good kind of burn; a burning fever that left me glowing on the inside. I remember this hand. But I don't remember it through this skin. And yet, it was like that was all that this body still remembers.

Then another voice called out again. But this was not any other voice; I would always know this voice – for it used to be mine. How odd it was to hear it and not be the one to speak it. She was urging me to wake up.

Peeking through a curtain of golden lashes, I saw a silhouette so close to me; his sweet breath, blowing soft winds against my face. And there were those familiar smoldering sapphires just watching me, taking me all in. Those eyes…they stirred something in my brain; a memory from not so long ago.

"Are you alright in there?" he whispers.

"Ian? Who am I? Where am I?" a high trilling voice asked. _Ugh!_ Did that voice come from me? Was that _my_ voice? Have I been reinserted into a child? _I've _been reinserted?

A flood of memories came crashing down on me. It bolted me up before strong hands could hold me down.

"Doc, NO! What have you done? You gave me your word, Eustace!" I yelled – more like squeaked - while searching for his face among the crowd.

Before Doc could answer me, Ian interrupted, "Is there anyone in there with you, Wanda?"

"Wha-? What are you talking about, Ian?" I asked, annoyed and clearly confused.

"Is there another consciousness in there with you? Can you find an awareness aside from your own still present in there?"

I searched but only found memories - like thousands of pictures in a scrapbook. "Why, no. There is no one else here," I answered. "But that's not the point. Doc and I had a deal!"

"No. The point is, Wanda," Mel finally butted in, "we gave you what you really wanted even though you were too selfless to ask for it. And you're not a parasite. We made sure of that. We didn't just pick the first female we found on the street either." I saw her steal a quick glance in Ian's direction before continuing, "We made sure her overall look screamed 'Wanda' – angelic, trustworthy and _um_….beautiful."

I glanced back to Ian and his face looked anxious and apprehensive. Was he worried that I didn't like this body? Well, for starters, it was shorter than what I was used to. Her voice – my voice – sounds like that of a pre-puberty teenager. This body also feels very weak, like it hasn't done a hard day's labor in all its life. How old is she? I'd be damned if they implanted me in a twelve year old child. And most importantly, she was……._silent._ I can only see Pet's memories and none from before she was inserted here. It was like the original Host never had any. It was silent and I was alone. That was more that I could have wished for.

It was this realization that had me asking, "You want me to stay?"

"For as long as forever, but only if you want it, too," Ian replied.

I nodded.

And with slight hesitation, he lifted my chin up to his face and kissed me with so much intensity that it left us both gasping for air.

When our lips finally parted, he held me close to his chest and sighed, "Welcome home."

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A/N: Story isn't done yet. This is just the tip of the iceberg. hahaha Should I continue? Review so I know you want to hear the rest. ;)


	5. Decided

**A/N: Ian tends to think too much when it comes down to it. Continue reading if you want to know what really goes on inside that head of his. Some dialogue and scenes in this chapter are mixed with the original book. However, their thoughts are not the same.**

**WARNING: Please note, I'll be changing the rating to MATURE after this chapter because there will be stronger sexual content. I had to break this down to two chapters to give you fair warning.**

**Once again, a BIG **_**Thanks, Mahalo, Arigato, Salamat, Sie Sie, Danke, Merci and Gracia**_** to the following lovely people who recently reviewed my story: **_**kimmitwilight, Cherry Tulips, 123xyz, Rajalker and Allebasi, **_**and lastly, **_**Lady Fingers20.**_** You all have given me the inspiration I needed to continue writing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the HOST and its characters. I do, however, own the fantasies that came about after reading it.  
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**Ian POV**

The monsoon season has finally arrived and subsequently quenched this hot Arizona desert. This was a nice change from the blistering heat of summer weather. When before, we'd be constantly soaked in sweat; now, we were simply soaked. It was hard to stay dry even inside these caves - water would be dripping from every single crack in the ceiling. It was uncomfortable walking around the tunnels constantly feeling like a wet dog.

But that wasn't the only uncomfortable thing about the changing season. It has been more than a month since Wanda had been inserted into her new Host and although it remained relatively quiescent, we knew things weren't really back to normal yet.

Only six people in this cave, including myself, know the story about her Host. I had sworn them to secrecy for this was my secret to tell, not theirs. She doesn't have to know. So of course, Mel objected. But I reminded her that she owed me and this was the only payment I expected. As much as she tried to send daggers in my direction with her eyes, I very much ignored them.

Before the rains came, Jaime occupied the other mattress in my room because I didn't have the heart to tell him to go bunk somewhere else – poor kid just got kicked out of Jared and Mel's room, too. And so, my Wanda had been sleeping in the hospital wing. I disliked the idea of her sleeping alone in an uncomfortable cot but I knew she needed time to acquaint herself with her given situation. In my heart, Wanda, the Soul, was already mine, and will always be mine. Nevertheless, I wasn't sure if she felt the same way yet. After a month, things were still a little awkward between us. She was still in love with Jared, no thanks to Mel. I would catch her stealing glances at his direction every now and then. Although they would immediately be followed by a look of chagrin and total confusion, I knew there was something deep inside her that still yearned for his affection no matter how much she tried to deny it.

I haven't kissed Wanda since that day in the hospital. It had been pure impulse and sheer overwhelming happiness for her return that made me force my lips on hers without regard. I had to give her time to sort things through without imposing myself on her.

However, I had other reasons, too.

Wanda had once told me it was difficult – practically close to impossible – to differentiate the Soul and the body as two separate beings; to be able to love one and not the other. I had argued the contrary. When she was still in Mel's body, it was easy to tell the difference. It was Wanda, the Soul, that made the body beautiful. But this was more complicated than any of us ever expected. How can I love the Soul without feeling like a cheater whenever I held the hands or stroked the face of the body I used to love, much less get aroused by it? How can I justify my actions when I, myself, am split into two? I was arrogant to think I can deal with this situation as long as Wanda was back. Now that she is, even I can't help but question my own intentions. Because the more I loved the Soul within, the more I was slowly falling in love again with the body that protected it. The physical need I once had for it was gradually resurfacing, intensifying with every touch.

I have to start accepting the fact that she was all Wanda now. Not two separate entities, but only one undivided person; the most beautiful body and soul that only I was lucky enough to be blessed with.

I was wrong and Mel was right. Andrea couldn't have been more perfect as her Host - Wanda's inner beauty was equally translated into Andrea's physical form. The people around the caves were more comfortable having her around. To them, she was just as human as any of us – not an alien, not even a misfit. She finally belonged; and she belonged with me.

Screw being platonic. Isn't this what I've been wishing for, for the past few weeks? Hadn't I dreamt of taking her in my bed, finally being her partner, rather than just be the one who had dibs in holding her hand? There was only one other thing keeping me from making her officially mine.

Jaime.

Maybe I can talk to Aaron and Brandt to take him in after the rains subsided. But if they can't, I'll just move into the hospital wing myself or shove the kid back into Jared and Mel's cave. Let them deal with their own.

I found Wanda beside her cot desperately trying to lug it towards the game room. Her golden tresses were tied up in a high ponytail, exposing her slender neck and that faint pink scar. I reached out to touch that thin line but instead, I grabbed the cot from her before she had a chance to complain and then planted a quick kiss on her forehead. That millisecond my lips touched her skin sent ripples of electricity that gave me goose bumps on the back of my neck. She gasped when she saw me.

"Easy there, love. You know you shouldn't strain yourself too hard. Are you still not comfortable asking for help?" I teased.

"No, I know. I just keep thinking I still have Mel's strength when clearly this body can only carry a bunch of pillows. It gets frustrating sometimes," she said, frowning. "And with everyone else busy moving their stuff around, I didn't want to trouble them with mine too."

"You don't have to ask me, you know that. Don't be too upset. You try to do too much. That tiny body is the only way we could limit you from making everyone else feel worthless around here."

"Now you're just being absurd." She was scowling at me.

"No, just telling you how it is. You don't have to work extra hard to make people think you deserve your place in here. You've given us so much more in the short time you've been here than most people have in their lifetime!"

"Still -" she tried to argue stubbornly.

I stopped in my tracks to face her. "Look, it's our turn to take care of you when you're inside the caves. You can help us however you want when you're outside. And if you're going to be stubborn about it, I might have to start sounding like a broken record, repeating myself, until you get the message. So, please, Wanda. Just do it for me, please?"

She rolled her eyes and eventually nodded. "Fine."

"That's my girl," I said, smiling. _My girl. _That simple proclamation had my insides in knots. I wrapped my available arm around her tiny waist and pulled her close to me as we continued towards the game room.

Almost everyone had settled down already when we got there. Jaime took Wanda's cot from me and shoved it to the side. He had put our mattresses together saying something about the three of us being able to fit when he put two of them together. He must have read my mind when he beat me to the punch by asking Aaron and Brandt first if he could bunk with them after the rains cleared. This kid was good; or maybe Mel or Jared had put him up to this. Either way, I was glad I didn't have to resort to drastic measures to kick him out.

"Oh, hey, Ian," he had said. "I talked to Brandt and Aaron, and I think I'm going to move in with them. Well, I'm beat. Night, guys."

Unexpectedly, I felt Wanda stiffen beside me as she took this in. Maybe she still wasn't ready like I thought she would be. I must be half out of my mind thinking she was just as ready as I was. _Damn. _What an egotistical bastard I am.

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**Wanda POV**

I froze.

For a month now, things have been pretty much platonic between Ian and me. He held my hand and played with my hair just like everyone else did. He hasn't kissed me since that day in the hospital wing and he definitely hasn't asked me to share his room with him; provided, Jaime already occupied the other mattress. But still. How he acted around me was always preceded by some sort of hesitation. He doesn't realize this but I do.

I talked to Mel about it a couple days ago and all she said was to give him time - he may still be confused with the whole body switch thing. And now that I thought about it, even if she never mentioned it, Mel is still here and I guess it is pretty awkward when he fell in love with me while I was still in her body. Naturally, he'd have leftover feelings for her. That was my fault. His reaction was just something I never anticipated. It was wrong for me to hope for so much.

With that simple announcement from Jaime, all the fear I had hidden inside me suddenly poured out in an avalanche of questions_. Will he ask me now? Now that he'll be alone in his room, will he finally ask me to stay with him? Does he even want me to stay with him? Does he really love me like he said he did? Did this body not appeal to him? _Maybe Mel, Jared and Jaime should have picked a sexier host - not one who looks like a child but with the curves of a young woman. _Maybe then, will he want me? _

I froze because I didn't know the answers to these questions.

And apparently, he didn't either. Panic was clearly written all over his face and the trembles on his hand only accentuated the fact. But I was having none of that. Despite the circumstances we were in at the moment, I wasn't going to let him off without talking this through.

Letting go of my waist, he grabbed my hand and pulled me down to the mattress. His body was so much closer than I expected. The heat emanating from his skin warmed the cool night air around me even though our bodies were barely touching. The fact that he was only wearing jeans, with boxers peeking out in a thin line around the waist, made me want to jump on top of him and make love to him right then and there. I closed my eyes to restrain myself.

"Wanda?" Ian whispered.

"Yes," I replied – not as a prompt for him to proceed, but as _my_ answer to his indecisiveness. I might not know the answer to my questions, but I know my answers for his. I had a feeling I'd be saying this the whole night. _Yes, _I love him. _Yes,_I wanted to share his cave. _Yes, _my body ached for him he had to do was ask.

"Now that Jaime won't be in my room anymore, do you think-"

Without giving him a chance to finish, I blurted out an excited, "Yes!" Again.

I heard him chuckle beside me and in an instant, I was blushing tomato red. _That was embarrassing. _Good thing it was pitch black in the game room. If Mel saw me, she'd never let me live it down. With a sigh, I shifted to my side to face him. Even through the darkness, brilliant sapphires met my gaze and I couldn't help but gasp at the beauty of them. Suddenly, a wave of possessiveness washed through me – such an unfamiliar emotion yet somehow fitting.

_Mine. _I want those eyes to always be looking at me. I want this man to always belong to me. Selfish? _Yes._ Greedy? _Maybe._ Only Ian can ever bring out such strong negative reactions from me; but in a good way. He is _My Ian._

To keep myself from getting distracted, I closed my eyes and inhaled his scent. Okay…that wasn't a good idea either. His sweet musky aroma only managed to turn me on. And with a second breath, my body quivered and the tips of my breasts hardened, aching towards the owner of this heavenly fragrance. My mind thought about scooting closer to him but it was his body that responded. A strong, but gentle, arm wrapped around me; warm fingers tenderly caressing my spine, leaving a trail of burning fire in its wake. I could feel something poking against my thighs and it was pure euphoria thinking I might have caused it. The muscles in my core tightened in response.

He started to speak but I put two slender fingers over his lips to shush him. The feel of his unusually smooth lips made me ache to kiss them again, to taste the sweetness that only his tongue could give. I controlled myself. _For now._

"Ian," I whispered, looking him straight in the eyes. "Whatever you're thinking, my answer will always be 'yes' for you. So please, tell me that you want me too; not just as a friend or an obligation, but more than that. Tell me you feel for me the way I have always felt for you, even before this body. I have my own life now and I want to start living it. More than that, I want to start living it with you. You do want me, right? Does this body not appeal to you?"

He grabbed the fingers covering his mouth and slowly kissed them. I could feel a smile starting to form on his lips.

"Wanda, Wanda," he said, shaking his head. "You thought _I_ did not want you? You think your body doesn't appeal to me? You have absolutely no idea how many nights I've imagined your body underneath mine, how I've imagined feeling every inch of you, and how my mouth waters every time I catch a glance of your uncovered skin. I have been ready, longer than you might think, but I wasn't sure if you were too."

"I feel the same way," I assured him. "I've been ready for so long but I wanted you to be sure that you wanted it too. Funny how none of us said anything sooner."

"Then I guess, there's only one way to find out," he said, releasing me and moving to stand up. The sudden loss of skin contact left me cold.

"Where are you going?" I asked, frowning.

"Where _we're_ going," he corrected, "is out of this game room."

"Huh?" I was confused but started to sit up and get out of the mattress as well.

Instead of answering, he bent down, swept me from under my knees and caught my shoulders before they touched the ground. The sudden movement made my heart skip a beat. Or two. Being in his arms was the closest thing to heaven, if there was such a thing for Souls.

"I thought I could wait till after the rain stopped but can you tell that I can't?"

I couldn't help but giggle at that. _Oh,_ y_es. I can tell._ When we were still lying in the mattress, I _definitely_ could tell. The feel of his bulge was still quite fresh in my mind.

He shifted my weight to his left arm, and with the other, he fumbled in his pocket for a…flashlight? Oh, stupid me. So that's what poked me earlier. I mentally smacked my forehead. Had I mentioned it to Ian, I would have died of embarrassment.

When he flicked the flashlight on, a handful grunts and moans echoed throughout the room mixed in with the usual curses and threats.

"Shut the fucking light!" Kyle.

"Wha-?" Jaime.

"Can't a guy get his beauty sleep around here?" Aaron.

"Turn that damn thing off before I shoot someone!" Jeb.

Snore. Doc.

"You okay, Wanda?" Mel asked groggily, probably wondering why Ian was carrying me around.

"No, no," I replied hastily. "I…um…I just have to go to the bathroom, that's all." I hope she was too sleepy to call the lie. It wasn't as much a lie as I really didn't know where he was taking me. And if I did, I didn't want her to know, anyway.

"Suure…I'd say get a room, you two, but apparently that's where you're going," she said mockingly. "Have fun." She winked at me before snuggling her face against the crook of Jared's shoulder. I was too hot for Ian right now that seeing an also half naked Jared didn't even make me blush.

Ian snickered.

"Where _are_ we going?" I whispered against his bare chest. Feeling his nipple against my cheek was making my mouth water and my panties wet. I imagined how they would taste on my lips. "Are you going to-"

"Make love to you? Oh, yes." he said with so much fervor.

My heart stopped yet again. At this rate, I'm going to go on cardiac arrest from the workout I'm giving it. I didn't care, though. His words already sent me to Soul heaven.

It was a while before I could speak again. We passed the main cavern and were heading towards the living quarters.

"All the mattresses and cots are back in the game room. Why are we heading towards…your room?" I asked as he stopped right in front of the red and grey doors.

"I have a blanket inside my dresser. We can use that for now; unless you mind rolling around in a little mud? It's either _our_ room or back in the warm mattress beside Jaime?"

I didn't respond. The rain had slowed down but water was still dripping through the cracks, turning everything to sludge. I shivered as a sudden cool breeze swept through my drenched clothing. He hugged me tighter. Any closer and he's going to undo me. I had to put some distance between us for now.

"I think I can manage walking through the door from here," I said, struggling to get on my feet. The action must have surprised him because he didn't put up any resistance.

As I stepped through the threshold of "our" room, I turned around to face Ian. His face was a mixture of confusion, guilt, anxiety, and desire all rolled into one. How can one expression show such a plethora of emotions was mind-boggling.

He was looking down at the ground when he spoke, "Wanda, I know this is _your_ first time and I really wanted this to be special for you. I'm truly sorry to only be able to give you this. You deserve much more than a blanket in a mud soaked room." Then through gritted teeth, he added, "Your host body must have preferred only the softest mattresses and the finest silks when making love to another man."

I closed the distance between us, held his cheeks in between my palms, and forced him to look at me. "I'll have you know, this body is as much a virgin as I am. Is that what you're worried about? Coz I don't really care if we did it here or at a Ritz Carlton. This is actually pretty kinky, if you ask me. It's _you_ that I want. I would still do you in the middle of a stinking alley than wait one more day for this. I want you. I love you, my Ian."

"And _I_ love you, my Wanderer."

Then I felt the crushing weight of his lips on mine.

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A/N (again): Stronger sexual content on the next chapter. Read at your own risk. (a really steamy risk, actually LOL).**


	6. First Night

**A/N: If you need a visual, check out my profile picture for the "Ian" I imagined when I wrote this section. In case you don't recognize him, that's my boyfriend. hahaha Just kidding (I wish!). It's Sean Faris from 'Never Back Down' – a movie he was in with Cam Gigandet.**

**Thank you so much to the following ladies who were kind enough to leave me reviews: twilightnharrypotterfreak, TamIanandEdward, Lady Fingers20, xXDreamWriterXx and Cherry Tulips. This chapter is for you!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything about the Host. One day, I will own the movie tickets for the movie premier. XD**

**Ian POV**

I jerked my head down and smashed my lips on hers. Without thinking, my hands grabbed her hips and pulled her close to me. The impact of her body against mine was like a jolt of electricity through my bones, raising goose bumps all over my skin. And in a heartbeat, all my fear and hesitation went out the window (or in this case, the cracks in the ceiling). I have ached for this body since god knows when, so I'll be damned if honor or morality would get in the way. Only images of An...Wanda, naked in my room with her legs wide open, invaded my now aroused mind.

I pulled out her hair tie, letting soft, golden waves fall down her shoulders, past her elbows. Her intoxicating scent surrounded us – a seductive mix of gardenias and vanilla. Even in these caves, her skin remained smoother than silk; although it now glows a luscious honey color, instead of silver.

Desperate to taste the sweetness of her mouth, I plunged my tongue deeper. A moan escaped her lips; but instead of pushing me back, she tangled her fingers with my hair and pressed her body tighter. I traced the outline of her mouth with my lips. Each kiss was like a hot branding iron, claiming her as my possession. She arched her body, shoving her core against my thigh. Fire burned where we touched and my body thirsted for more. Nothing can quench this thirst, not even the strongest monsoon rains. Only until I was inside her will I be satisfied.

I angled her head to the side to go deeper inside her mouth; the raging inferno that was on our lips now traveled to the muscle in my nether region. In one quick motion, I lifted her bottom and wrapped her legs around my waist. One moment we were in the middle of the room, the next, I had her back shoved against the ragged surface of the stone wall.

Her tongue left a trail of blazing heat down the column of my throat making me growl in excitement. I palmed and gripped her ass tighter; savoring how the wetness in between her thighs soaked the fabric that covered my rapidly hardening member. Even through her shirt and bra, I could feel her nipples stabbing my chest.

Pressure was building up too quickly within so I locked my muscles to make sure I didn't prematurely come. One more second like this, and no doubt, I definitely would have exploded inside my jeans. I loosened her legs and set her on her feet. We were both gasping for air, her sweet breath mingling with mine. I put my hands on her shoulders and slowly pushed away from her, rather unwillingly.

"Wha-," she started to complain.

"Need. Blanket. First." I said in between choked breaths. In two long strides, I reached the dresser, crouched down, and hastily pulled out a thick one from the bottom of the third drawer. Scraps of paper and debris fell out with the blanket but I didn't care to look at them. All I cared about was getting the damn thing on the floor. The room was already covered in mud and the blanket was soaked in seconds.

I opened the second drawer and fumbled around the edges for the box of condoms. When I felt its sharp tips on my fingers, I pulled it out, tore the opening, and grabbed a single silver packet. Moonlight bounced off the condom package and I was suddenly slammed with a wave of guilt.

I had bought this box for that summer in the cabin with Andrea – that dreaded summer when everything went to hell. _Fuck! Definitely not the best time to go on memory lane. _I shook my head furiously, trying to block the images that were starting to cloud my head. I looked back at Wanda and my heart nearly stopped. _Andrea_, I almost murmured. _No. Wanda. WANDA!_ _You idiot! _I internally cursed at myself. The loud thoughts made me cringe.

Wanda rushed to my side, placing her arms around my shoulders.

"Ian, what's wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost," she said, concern evident in her words. "Please don't tell me you are having second thoughts about this." And after a long pause, she added, "But it is okay if you are. I guess, I can wait, too."

The last part was mumbled in silence and I knew she didn't mean it. Wanda really was a crappy liar but it still made me sick knowing I hurt her enough to make her lie to me about waiting. _What the hell was wrong with me? _She may be a crappy liar, but I'm a worthless son-of-a-bitch who doesn't deserve this amazing creature. She flinched when my muscles tensed.

Hope and Doubt fought in my mind and it took all my strength to shove them both to the back of my head. In the end, I forced Hope to win. This internal struggle cannot dictate my life anymore. It was time to put an end to doubt; even if it meant starting off with a lie.

I pocketed the condom, stood from my crouch and pulled her up with me.

Stroking a strand away from her face, I said, "I'm fine. Really." Then with a smirk, I added, "I had all these naughty and unthinkable ideas on how to take you right now. But when I saw you standing there like an angel in this godforsaken place, those wicked thoughts just made me cringe. I have to remember to be gentle with you."

Putting her tiny fingers over my mouth to shush me, she said, "Ian, you can do whatever you want with me. If it's rough and naughty you want, it's rough and naughty I'll take. No more stalling. If you do, I'll have to rip your jeans off of you myself."

I knew, this time, she wasn't lying. With a teasing growl, I opened my mouth and playfully bit her forefinger. "I'd like to see you try."

Snickering, I grabbed her waist and lowered her to the muddy blanket. Kissing her slowly at first, then gradually roughened it up, using my tongue to force her lips to open. It took me by surprise when her tongue thrust itself first inside mine. It was a fight for domination; a fight I actually wouldn't have minded losing. With my knees, I compelled her legs to part. She arched her hips closer to mine, grinding against my swelling cock.

My hands made their way under her shirt, up her back, right to the straps of her bra. With just a flick of my fingers, they were instantly unstrapped.

_Yup, _I thought. _Still got it._

"Impressive. Practice much?" she mused.

"Just one of my many hidden talents, love."

"Hmm…tell me about your other hidden talents, then," she said in between moans.

"Nope."

"No? Why the heck not?" she pulled back, putting her small hands against my chest and trying to shove me off.

"No - because I'd rather show you," I said with a wry smile.

I pulled up a bit just enough to move her wet shirt and bra over her head. The sight in front of me had me gasping in awe. Nothing was more erotic than having this godly half-naked woman under me in a bed of mud. Smooth, cream-colored, perfect sized breasts, with hard strawberry nipples on top, were staring straight at me - inviting me to have a taste. Without hesitation, my lips lunged down on one, tracing, licking, kissing, sucking and savoring, while my hand massaged the other; alternating between the two. For every breath she took in, I sucked harder. When she exhaled, I gripped tighter. But as soon as she was threatening to erupt and the scintillating scent of her arousal wafted in the air, I stopped.

"Not yet," I teased.

"Please, Ian. Now," she groaned.

"You wanted to know my other hidden talents, right?"

"Uh…hmm…"

"Then, shh…"

Slowly, and reluctantly, I drew my attention away from her swollen nipples and worked my way down the soft plane of her flat stomach. Kissing, licking, and sucking - not necessarily in that order. Heat emanated from her skin, scorching my lips with every kiss. Lower and lower I went, inching closer to her core. Her shorts and panties were half coated in mud and it only took one swift pull to get her fully naked. A small triangle of wet, golden hair laced her entrance. If I didn't have any restraint, I would have devoured her right then and there.

And apparently, I really didn't. My tongue attacked those plump lips, just like how I attacked her mouth. The sweet taste of her juices was enough to practically send me over the edge. My jeans were starting to get uncomfortably tight. She was just so deliciously wet. In and out, my tongue pumped; teeth grazing her plump folds as I alternated between sucking and licking.

Wanda dug her nails into my scalp as she pressed my head closer. Her legs spread wider and her moans grew louder. I thrust in one finger, then two; my thumb gently stimulating the nub in between. When her muscles started to tense around my fingers, I knew it wouldn't be long.

"Ian, Ian. _Oh, God._ Ian," she screamed as she climaxed two minutes later.

- - - - - - -

**Wanda POV**

Fire was everywhere. My whole body erupted in flames when the last lick sent me to that final plateau. Every nerve-ending jerked awake in this fragile body – such a new, intense and unbelievable emotion that I never wanted to end. Cold, wet mud covered me but the blaze that engulfed our bodies melted everything within reach.

I looked down at Ian and he was smiling at me; his eyes were scorching sapphires. "Good or bad?" he challenged, licking my center one last time.

Still recovering from the orgasm, my body quivered and my lungs practically exploded. I was barely able to choke out a quick, "Not bad."

"_Not bad? _So you mean good, right"he said through gritted teeth.

"Not good either," I ribbed; but quickly added, "Because it was amazing!"

"Thought so," he beamed, pushing himself up a bit.

Propping myself on my elbows, I said, "Making a woman come while still fully – okay, maybe partly – clothed," I corrected, "Is definitely considered a talent in my book too."

He grinned and slowly made his way back on top of me. "Glad you think so, too." He leaned down, tilted my head to the side, and started nibbling on my earlobe while stroking the thin scar from my insertion.

"Should I even try to guess what your other hidden talents are or would you prefer doing another show-and-tell?" I teased.

"Show. Only show."

"Okay…but when do I get to rip your jeans off of you?"

"Are you asking for my permission?" he invited, lowering part of his weight on me; my still sensitive crotch pressing against his strong, hard abs.

"Maybe," I giggled. I traced my hands along the contours of perfect ivory muscles of his chest, his abs, making my way down to the hem of his –

"Where are your jeans??"

He chuckled. "Took care of it for you. Let's just say, it's just another one of my talents."

"When…How?"

"Sorry, I don't give away any trade secrets." he said boldly.

I tried to glare at him but only managed to get a laugh out of him and, in turn, make my whole face red. He kissed me once and the flush on my face quickly traveled elsewhere.

"My turn?" I asked through our lips.

"Maybe next time. I don't think my co…I mean, I don't think _I_ can last any longer. I want you so bad. Right now. Is that okay?"

"Yes, please. Thought you'd never ask."

"Wanda, this may hurt a bit at first. If it gets too painful, please tell me to stop. Promise me this much," he asked looking at me straight in the eye.

If I wasn't so determined about getting him inside me, his smoldering eyes would have easily distracted me. "I promise, Ian. But I also promised that we will finally be together. If pain is the only thing keeping us from getting there, I'll gladly take it any day. Like I said, no more stalling."

With a heavy sigh, he pulled away.

"Oh, no. What now?" I complained.

"Condom," he said quickly. I heard him fumbling around behind him; and then, the sound of foil being ripped.

A deep sigh and his body covered all of me.

"You're so beautiful," I said while stroking my fingers through his ink black hair.

"I was just about to say that too."

Right then and there, I vowed never to leave this wonderful human again. No matter what happens now, Ian will always belong to me, and I to him; Jared and Melanie both forgotten with the past. From this moment, it's just Ian and Wanda. Forever.

I could feel the length of him pressing against the juncture in between my thighs, dangerously close to penetrating. He left it there for a bit, rubbing and gliding alongside my folds. Every time it chafed my clit, it felt like he was knocking on the doors of my paradise.

"I love you, my Wanderer." And as he said my name, he plunged all of him inside me; straight to the hilt. The pain was excruciating but it left as briefly as it came. Now, only the pleasure of his expanding width enveloped me. Slowly he pulled out, roughly he slid back in. Too soon, I was arching my hips and I was nearing another climax. He roared when I felt him about to explode; his thrusts, harder and more forceful now. I dug my nails into his shoulder when I could no longer contain the pressure.

"IAN," I screamed again.

"Wanda," he shouted, matching in intensity.

Our bodies trembled violently the moment we reached euphoria together and I was momentarily blinded by a white light that erupted from inside me. It wasn't just me - Wanderer, the Soul - that belonged to Ian. This body belonged to him as well; like it had been made for him all along.

He all but collapsed on top of me when the last seed had been purged.

We were breathless. Our hearts were thrumming ferociously against our chests. Splotches of light clouded our vision.

He rolled to my side, simultaneously pulling me on top of him. He stroked away the loose hair covering my left eye then left his hand on the side of my face; thumb caressing my cheek. His other hand was stroking patterns around the small of my back and the curve of my butt. "My Wanda," he whispered.

_Ian. My Ian._

I froze…because the thought - although faint - was not mine.

**A/N: What did y'all think of this chapter? Hope it was steamy enough for you as it was for me. Haha Time to ogle at Sean Faris' picture again. Yum!! Should I include more chapters of this or is one enough? Let me know. Review, please! Have you made someone smile today? If you write a review for this story, you definitely would make me smile. :D Good or bad, feedback is always appreciated.**


	7. Sister Talk

**A/N: First and foremost, I would like to thank twilightnharrypotterfreak, Lady Fingers20, TeamIanandEdward, Cherry Tulips, xXDreamWriterXx and 123xyz for your awesome reviews. Never thought I'd get past 20! Thank you soo much! I know, I know. You gals are still left reeling after that last chapter. LOL But I'm glad you all enjoyed it, nonetheless. Is Andrea back? I dunno. Read and find out. Hahaha**

**Quick note: Cherry Tulips and I want to start a petition to have Sean Faris considered for the role of Ian O'Shea. Don't you think he'll be an amazing Ian? We think so. Let me know if you're interested in joining our fight to have him cast.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything about the Host. She even owns that girl's 3-minute video of New Moon. ;)**

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Wanda POV**

Last night was…unbelievably amazing. What I thought would have been a seemingly uneventful night in a cramped game room with thirty-six other people ended up being the most unforgettable night in all of my ten lives. The bond between Ian and I – that started when I was still inside Melanie – was now completely forged and sealed. As we enjoyed each other on that mud-soaked room, we let go of all inhibitions and gave ourselves completely to one another. Even the midnight bath we took together still filled my head. Remembering how he let me taste and pleasure him just a few paces from where I was sitting now, made my hands tremble – almost causing me to drop the plate I was rinsing by the river.

Last night, Ian made me his woman, his Wanda. And in turn, he will remain forever mine.

My happy bubble threatened to burst when I was temporarily reminded of that little thought.

_Ian. My Ian._

I had immediately dismissed the thought as soon as I heard it – simply attributing it with all the raw emotions that were erupting inside me. Granted, it had caught me off guard but I think I might have only imagined it. For all I know, it really was just my subconscious breaking through. Nothing to panic, I'm sure. There's no reason for this body to stake a claim like that. Unless…

I shook my head. _Impossible. _

"Wanda, are you okay?"

A warm hand on my shoulder broke me from my reverie.

"Huh?" I said, starting at the source of the voice and the owner of the hand. "Oh! Hey, Mel! Sorry, I didn't notice you there. I uh – I'm okay, I guess. You kind of caught me daydreaming, I'm afraid."

"Geez…I walked in here like five minutes ago trying to get your attention," she said sourly. "Jeb was wondering what took you so long to wash the dishes from this morning. It's almost time for lunch and you still weren't back yet. He figured you might be waiting for Ian to help you carry them back. Jeb had him and some of the boys inspect the cave system after the downpour yesterday. So I'm here to help."

"Five minutes?" I asked dubiously.

"Give or take four…and a half," she admitted, grinning.

Mel sat beside me and started brushing off the leftover gunk from the rest of the plates on the unclean pile – which was still significantly larger than the clean pile.

Looking down at the stack beside me, I instantly flushed crimson in embarrassment. Instead of doing my chores, all I did was just sit here in the middle of the river room, daydreaming. But for good reason, I thought. My mind kept on wandering back to last night - remembering Ian's kisses, his gentle touches, his commanding tongue all over me, warm hands caressing my breasts, his long and thick member thrusting inside me…

My skin burned with the recollection of last night's _um_…..events that I could hardly suppress the giggles that were threatening to erupt from my lips. For a moment, I remembered why I had easily gotten distracted.

"Don't be embarrassed about slacking off a bit. It's about time you did anyway. I think Jeb wouldn't be as keyed up if he caught _you_ sleeping on the job," she chided. "I, on the other hand, got threatened to be shot if I didn't get my sorry behind to the river room and help you with the dishes."

If she thought that was the reason my whole body looked like a big, red bell pepper, I definitely wasn't going to try and correct her. I merely nodded in agreement.

"So…..how was your night with Ian?" She elbowed me playfully.

"Wha-at?" I looked up at her, startled.

"Now don't you give me that _'deer-caught-in-headlights'_ look, Wanderer. You very well know what I'm talking about. Ian practically woke up everyone in the game room last night with that flashlight of his. We all saw him carrying you out and no one remembered seeing both of you come back either; which leads me to believe that you two went somewhere to have sex. That, and the fact that you've got massive bags under your eyes. It must have been one hell of an all-nighter," she stated matter-of-factly.

Was there a shade darker than maroon? Because that must have been the color of my face the moment Mel dropped that bomb on me.

"I…uh… (insert tense laughter)…well…" I just stuttered all over the place. Do human females – including sisters – really talk this openly about the first night or any night for that matter?

"Wanda, Wanda. You've been in my head, for crying out loud. You saw my memories, including all those nights with Jared. You know you can tell me. That's what sisters do. Besides, all I asked was _'how was it?' _It's not like I'm asking you to come up with a solution to world poverty. Oh right, the Souls already figured that one out. Never mind that," she said, looking at me straight in the eyes, practically glaring at me.

A small smile appeared on my face and that was all it took for Mel to wrap her long arms around me and trap me into one of her crushing hugs.

"Eek! My little sister is not a virgin anymore," she squealed.

"Mel! Shh! Keep it down," I said, trying to wiggle my arms away to reach for her mouth and cover it.

"Take a chill pill, Wanda. No one else is here. It's just you, me and a whole lotta conversation to be made. You better start spilli-….Oh my god! I just remembered something," she exclaimed, grabbing my shoulders.

"What, Mel? What's wrong?" I asked, confused by the sudden outburst.

"Please tell me you two used protection? Ugh! I'm such a bad sister. I should have made sure to give you a talk about the birds and the bees before I had Jaime move out of Ian's room," she said shaking her head.

"_You_ made Jaime move out?" I eyed her speculatively.

"Hm? Nope. Didn't say that," she said, raising her chin in defiance. "You must have heard me wrong."

She must have been the one who convinced Jaime to stay with Aaron and Brandt so Ian wouldn't have to say anything. It was so sneaky, so Mel. _God, I love her for that._ "Thank you," I whispered, giving her another of my tiny smiles.

She stroked my hair from my face and said, "Oh, Wanda. What are you going to do without me? Of course, I had to find a way to get you and Ian together. Wasn't this what all the drama was about in the first place? Neither of you wanted to make the first move so I took it upon myself to do so. I owed you both remember?" she admitted. "Besides, you still didn't answer my question."

"Which one?"

"Protection?"

"If by protection, you mean _condom_, right? I think that's what Ian called it. Then yes, we did, Mom."

She rolled her eyes at me before muttering, "Interesting."

"Now why do you say that?"

"Nothing. Pretend I didn't say anything."

"That's twice already. It's starting to get old, you know?" I complained.

"Okay, fine. Back when I first started scheming about this, it just never occurred to me that you guys would need some sort of protection. I would have gladly given you some. But then again, it would have been too obvious, if I, out-of-the-blue, handed you a silver wrapped balloon and said _'Enjoy!'_ So, I'm actually a bit surprised that Ian has some in his possession. Unless…" She stared off, suddenly interested at the cracks in the ceiling.

"Mel!" I squealed.

"I wonder if maybe Jared gave him some. But then, that would mean he already knew," Mel said; more to herself than to me. "No, it couldn't be. So how and why does he have some? Makes you wonder. Hmm…" Her eyebrows were scrunched up in deep concentration and I knew it was hopeless to get a straight answer from her right now.

Exasperated by her one-sided conversation, I returned my attention to the dirty bowls and plates soaking by the river's edge and let my mind wander back to Ian.

It was a couple minutes before she broke off from her speculating and started interrogating me again.

"Wanda, where did you two go last night?"

"Ian's – I mean – _our _room. Why?"

"Didn't the boys take all the mattresses down to the game room?"

"Yeah, they did. But we didn't need a mattress – a blanket was enough," I said shyly. I could feel my cheeks burning again as I remembered the feel of the cold mud on my back in contrast to the heat of Ian's skin on top of me.

"You do realize you're blushing really bad, right? Wow. You and Ian are kinkier than I thought. I didn't know you had that in you, Wanda."

I kept my head down, too embarrassed to look at Mel. It was another thing to be naughty and bold with Ian, but sharing the details with someone else, albeit we shared minds at one point, still felt a little awkward. And then, there was that other thing too. "Don't really want to talk about it right now."

"Oh, no. You're hiding something from me. Spill," she ordered. When Mel gets into one of her interrogation modes, I was doomed.

"I can't. I mean, I don't want to."

"Stubborn Wanda. You know I'll eventually squeeze it out of you, one way or another. So you might as well tell me now while there's no one around us who'll eavesdrop."

I squared my shoulders and looked up at the three small holes above. Biting my lower lip, I told her, "Something else happened last night."

Mel stopped breathing; and I did, too. She didn't interrupt so I took that as my cue to continue. I turned around to face her, took her hands in mine, and rested them on my lap. "I may be overreacting, but still. Promise me you won't tell anyone – not Jared, not even Ian. Promise me, please."

She nodded.

I stared at our hands for a while before continuing. "After Ian and I _uh_…finished (_the first time_, I added to myself)…there was another thought that surfaced. It was faint so I'm not even sure if it was just my subconscious talking or whatnot. But it said, _'Ian. My Ian.'_ I could have been the one thinking it but it felt different. Do you remember when I was first inserted in you – Jared's face flashed in our heads and you practically yelled, _'Mine'_? That was almost how it felt again; except, I don't even feel her presence at all, not like with you. Just that one time, right after Ian came and called me _'His Wanda_._'_ But what really bothered me was why the thought claimed Ian as hers. Maybe I'm just losing my mind. I have no prior firsthand experience with human intercourse so this is all quite confusing to me."

Mel remained quiet through my spiel and I had to look up at her to make sure she was still listening to me. The expression she wore wasn't something I quite expected. Her eyes were bulging out of her sockets, nostrils flared, jaw clenched, and her constant sun-kissed skin suddenly looked five shades paler. "Mel, are you okay?" I shook her hands hoping to snap her out of her shock.

Her mouth started to open; but before any words could escape, we both turned around to the entrance of the cavern where a handful of footsteps were making their way towards us. From the shadows appeared the five hulking figures of Jeb, Ian, Jared, Andy and Brandt – all of them carrying a plethora of tools in their hands and around their belts. They stopped in their tracts when they saw Mel and me by the first riverbed.

"Hello, ladies. Working hard or hardly working?" Jeb inquired, leaning against his shovel.

Andy and Brandt both bellowed behind him.

My attention immediately fell on Ian. Even partly hidden in the shadows, his silhouette called to me like a silent beacon. He walked past Jeb into a path of sunlight and I almost melted to the ground. And though he was covered with brown and purple dust, he was still a sight of rugged, flawless beauty. A cropped mass of jet-black hair, a set of piercing blue eyes, ivory ropes of perfectly structured muscles, and my favorite crooked smile that never failed to make my heart skip a beat. My body softened at the sight of him.

Mel leaned against my ear and whispered a hurried, "We'll talk later." From the corner of my eye, I saw Jared's shovel was already on the floor, his arms open and waiting when she bounded up and jumped on him. They almost toppled backwards but he maintained his balance. They were immediately lost in a passionate kiss and locked in a tight embrace that I doubt anything could even break them apart. Seeing them like this, I was grateful that I had the courage to do what I did to give Mel back. Others Souls would consider me a skipper for doing so. But I simply call it _an act of_ _love_. Love for her, and love for everything good and human.

"Hey," Ian called to me, opening his own arms in invitation. I quickly got to my feet and stumbled around the piles of dishes. In my hurry to get to him, I didn't notice the stray spoon on the ground. I slipped on it and nearly fell on my butt. Instead of the anticipated feel of the rough, jagged surface of the floor, I felt a pair of strong arms swoop me off my feet. "Easy there, love. I'm excited to see you, too," he chuckled before planting a kiss on my forehead then meeting my lips with his own. After turning a few shades of red, I wrapped my arms around his neck to deepen the kiss.

"Ahem. I didn't bring you goons over here to have a make out session. There are cracks and holes to be patched up and they ain't doing that on their own, ya hear?" Jeb interrupted, already moving towards the bathing room with Andy and Brandt in tow.

I broke the kiss but his lips continued on to my chin, along the length of my jaw line, down my neck, before stopping on the hollow of my throat.

Giggling, I tried to softly push him away, "Ian, don't get us in trouble with Jeb."

Without even lifting his head, he muttered, "What's he going to do? Send us to Detention? Good. That means I'll have more time alone with you."

"Crazy human," I chuckled, "He'll probably threaten to shoot us."

"Oh he'll do more than just threaten," Mel butted in. "Now c'mon, Wanda. We're almost done with the dishes. Lucena needs these sometime this year." She practically yanked me off a reluctant Ian but brushed him off when he started to complain. Before Mel could grab my arm to drag me back to the riverbed, Ian snatched my waist and pulled me towards him.

"Save me a seat for lunch? Or would you prefer to _eat_ in our room?" he teased, tucking a stray hair behind my ear.

Blushing, I told him, "You need your nutrition. You'll be hungry by then, Ian."

"But I'm already hungry for _you_," he insisted.

"Okay, Cheesy Line number twenty-three. That's enough already," Mel rolled her eyes, exasperated. Her hands were already fisted on her waist and her feet were tapping loudly on the stone floor.

With a sigh, Ian finally let go of me and picked up his shovel to follow the others to the bathing room. I dragged myself back towards our spot by the riverbed, careful not to trip on any more stray utensils. I started putting away the clean ones into a pail when I heard Mel suddenly call out to Ian.

"Hey, Ian! Wait up! I forgot to tell Jared something," she yelled, running after him. He was already by the entrance of the dark cavern. With her speed, it didn't take her long to reach him.

I wondered what that was about but I simply brushed it off. Young people in love – she probably just wants to tell Jared to meet him somewhere else for lunch too. I snickered to myself and returned my attention to the task at hand. My hands were starting to get wrinkled from being soaked in the water too long so I made a mental note to add gloves on the shopping list for our next raid. I haven't been on one since I've had this new body and I wondered if and when they would finally allow me to go. We weren't in desperate need for supplies yet so I know I still have time to butter them up about letting me join the next one. Ian was still the most adamant about me going. Now that I have this innocent-looking body, he's been more reluctant about letting me loose in the outside world. He still keeps thinking that, if the need to make a run for it from seekers ever came, this tiny body wouldn't stand a chance. If Mel and her speed didn't, what more for me, right? But I knew Jared would be the easiest one to sway. He knows our survival depended on what I, as a Soul, can still get access to. I'll need his help to convince Ian, otherwise.

If I hadn't finished putting away all the dishes and needed Mel to help me carry them back to the kitchen, I wouldn't have noticed she hasn't come back yet. I turned to look around the room for her and noticed the two of them still deep in conversation by the entrance of the bathing room.

"Mel," I called out to her.

"Huh?" Her head jerked toward my direction and she seemed rather surprised to see me there.

"I'm about done here. Doesn't Lucena need these dishes by this year?" I yelled – more like, squealed.

"Oh, right. Let me help you with that," she answered. And to Ian, "Don't forget to tell Jared, okay?"

Ian nodded and walked through the dark entrance. Before he turned away, I noticed he was sort of looking a little glum – like the darkness of the cave was engraved into the features of his face. My heart nearly fell to the floor.

When Mel was within a more comfortable talking distance, I asked, "What took you so long? And what were you telling Ian that had him looking like you took away all his life force from him?"

"You saw that? Damn. Nah, Just asked him about the condoms and where he got them, that's all," she replied.

"Must have been a long explanation from him; and by the looks of it, it didn't sound good. And I don't like seeing him like that. Nevertheless, I won't ask what he said. If it pains him to tell you, then I guess I won't press it too. Knowing might be more trouble than it's worth."

"Yeah, it is," she agreed. "So, are we ready to go or what?"

"Right. Let's go," I said as we each lifted one end of the heavy pail.

**

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A/N (again): Not much went on in this chapter. But I promise, the story is just starting to unfold. :D If you want your name mentioned on the next chapter, write a review. It'll only take two seconds to write a simple "Love it", "Hate it" or "Meh". LOL**


	8. Lying From You

**A/N: Holy smokes, Batman! We've reached 40 reviews! w00t w00t! A big holiday wish go out to the following amazing people for reviewing my story: twilightnharrypotterfreak, Hear the Rain, Cherry Tulips, 123xyz, TopKat90 (7 reviews at once, you Rock!), SephiX88 (welcome to FF, my fellow TwilightersAnonymous friend), xXDreamWriterXx, FaithfullyTeamEdward1, Lady Fingers20, Christina 3, TK-MR and KamilleBlack. I hope you all get at least one wish granted this holiday season.**

**Speaking of the holidays, here's my Christmas gift to everyone: Chapter 8 is 4,804 words long without the A/Ns – my longest so far! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Host, but I own Sean Faris. (I'm staking a claim! LOL) **

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Mel POV**

Wanda and I made our way through the dark tunnels in silence, carrying the heavy pail between us. I made sure to bear practically all of it's weight knowing she was barely able to lift a handful of plates at a time. I would have easily carried it myself but I knew she would object and continually badger me until I would agree to let her help. She's just so stubborn like that. Apparently, selecting a feeble-looking host for her was a bad idea. When Jared, Jaime and I went out to look for her new body, we all agreed to find one that would also stop her from working too hard in the caves. Obviously, it backfired. And now, she's trying _twice_ as hard to work. I can't believe I didn't see that one coming. As her sister, I should have known better. I already knew that she, as a Soul, still felt responsible for what happened to humanity. Working her butt off in here was her way of atoning for their actions. Such a silly girl.

But that was only one of the many reasons we realized why the host we selected for her was a mistake. The most obvious one being Ian's ex-girlfriend, Andrea. How the heck were we supposed to keep track of all the girls the idiot dated? It would have been helpful if he gave us his Black Book before we started searching. But no… he could care less what she looked like. If that were me, I'd make sure they picked a tall, dark and handsome body to put my soul mate in – someone like my Jared; exactly like my Jared. My mouth never fails to water at the thought of him.

The way back to the kitchen felt longer than usual – maneuvering the heavy pail between us was more taxing than I thought. But even though it felt farther, it wasn't enough for us to resume the talk we had back in the river room. Too many prying ears along the tunnels also made it impossible to have a private conversation. To add to that, it was pretty hopeless to pull Wanda out of her daze now, too. Every now and then, I'd catch her blushing so bad without any provocation. I knew where her mind was wandering though. It didn't take a rocket scientist to make something of the goofy expressions on her face. It was so cute seeing her like this. My little sister is all grown up.

So instead of trying to fill the silence with useless small talk, I let my own mind wander back to the conversation I had with Ian.

- - - - -

_I kept my eye on Ian as he let go of Wanda and made his way towards the bathing room. I needed to warn him about her recent 'visitor' and I knew the only way to get him alone was to grab him _now_ before they met for lunch. After their little escapade last night, I doubt I'll ever be able to pry both of them away from each other. God knows if I'll even see either of them at the kitchen. I shudder to think what _lunch _actually means to them._

_Ian was almost by the threshold of the bathing room entrance when I decided it was far enough for Wanda to hear anything. The noise of the other men working in the next room also made it impossible for anyone else to eavesdrop – Jeb and Jared should know about this, actually, but not Andy and Brandt. _

"_Hey, Ian! Wait up! I forgot to tell Jared something," I yelled to him, already running. I made sure not to look back at Wanda, else she might suspect something._

_When I reached him, I was barely out of breath – these sprints felt like heaven on these legs. If only Jeb will allow me to go jogging outside once in a while. Better crush that thought before Jared gets a whiff of it. _

_He turned around and eyed me curiously, "S'up, Mel?_

"_We got a problem. Actually – scratch that. _You_ got a problem," I said._

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_She's back. Or at least, I think she's back. Wanda said so but she's not sure. She doesn't know what to make of it and I don't know what to make of it either," I sputtered, barely taking a breath in between._

"_Slow down, Mel," he said, grabbing my shoulders, "You lost me there. Who's back? And what's this got to do with Wanda?" he asked, panic starting to tint his words._

_I took a deep breath and began to explain, "After you and Wanda did your thing last night," I paused, noticing him blushing for the first time, "she thinks she heard Andrea call out to you. But she doesn't know who it is or _if _it actually is someone else. She's confused by it; thinks it's just an aftereffect of sex since she can't even feel the other presence at all."_

_Ian let go of my shoulders and stepped back. "What? Andrea called out to me? What exactly did she say?" he asked, doubtfully._

"_Yes. Andrea. Wanda mentioned some jibberish like 'My Ian' or something to that effect," I shrugged._

"_That's impossible," he shook his head before slumping against one of the stalagmite pillars._

"_Or so we thought," I said sardonically. "But don't get your panties in a bunch yet. Like I said, she doesn't even feel her there. Heck, she might not even come back at all. She only said she heard the thought right after both of you" – raising my fingers to form air quotes – "_finished_. There was nothing more after that." _

"_Finished? You mean – orgasm?"_

_I flinched at the word. It was another thing to talk freely with Wanda about the big O, but it was beyond awkward discussing it with Ian. _

_I nodded once._

"_Which time?" he asked, rather amused._

"_Oh, please. Spare me the details," I mumbled, rolling my eyes at him. "She didn't mention which '_time'_, but I suspect it would be where she might have frozen or something like that after. She tends to do that when something bothers her or shocks the bejesus out of her. Did you notice her acting a little strange at all at some point last night?"_

"_Not that I remember…O wait," he amended, "she did tense up a bit after the first time we did it. The second time, she hesitated like she was waiting for something. When that something didn't come, she relaxed again. I did wonder about that. The third time…"_

"_Okay! Okay," I interrupted, "you don't have to go into details about how many times you two went at it last night. Goodness! I simply asked if you noticed something."_

_Ian just smirked at me. But his expression immediately changed when he saw me glaring at him._

"_Focus, Ian," I snarled._

"_I'm sorry. I can't help it! Last night was just the best night I've ever had in like…ever! Not even Andrea's possible reappearance can dampen that. Heck, even if the world ended tomorrow, I'd just be as happy. Just like you said, it might have been just a one-time thing."_

"_Do you think it might be because she was extremely _overwhelmed _the first time that caused Andrea to break through? You know, like what happened to me?" I asked, curious._

"_I think she might have been equally overwhelmed the whole night. God knows I was," he said boldly. "But you're right. Maybe the first time was different since she didn't know what to expect yet. That's my only guess. So if that was the case, what now?"_

"_Really overwhelm her again, maybe? See if Andrea pops back in again?" I suggested._

"_Let me get this straight – You want me to continue seducing Wanda and get her extremely overwhelmed just to check if Andrea comes back? Like an experiment? I don't have any problems with the seducing part, obviously, but to have that as the reason to do so? That's just wrong in so many levels. And you know that, Mel."_

"_You're right. I don't know what I was thinking." Embarrassed, I looked down and fidgeted with the hem of my shirt. "It's just that, I'm worried about her and I really want to make sure she's happy. And if there is still a possibility that her host might come back, you know she's not going to be happy about it. Yes, she'll be happy for the Human but she'll be miserable knowing she has to give up her body again. We all know what happened the last time. What if she'll decide the same thing again and this time, we won't be so lucky to stop her in time? Then what?"_

"_That's not going to happen," Ian said firmly._

"_How can you be so sure?" I challenged._

"_Because last time, she didn't know if the erased would remain gone. She only witnessed Lacey and Candy – who both came back. She already got herself extracted before she could find out that Jodi never came back. Back then, she didn't know it was possible not to be a parasite. She knows better now."_

"_I guess you're right on that account. I just don't want to wait till it's too late to do anything. Wanda deserves better than that. If she can't even think about her self, someone else has to." I sighed. "If Andrea does come back and she's not telling anyone about it – not even me – and decides to take it upon herself to act on it, we have to be prepared this time. I'm not losing her again."_

"_Is it really wrong for me to wish the body would remain silent? Not for my selfish reasons, but to finally grant Wanda the peace that she deserves?" And with a more subdued voice, he added, "Mel, I know because of last night, I made things even more complicated. I don't even know where to begin. When Wanda and I made love, I had inadvertently made love to Andrea's body as well. Of course, I knew it was Wanda in there all along. But do you see what I mean? If her host can't remain silent, how do you think both of them will feel if or when they find out about each other?"_

"_You have to tell her."_

"_No. Not yet. I can't ruin last night for her."_

"_When?"_

"_Soon."_

"_Whatever, Ian. But if she starts asking me questions, I'm telling her myself."_

"_Then I'll just have to make sure she doesn't get a chance to."_

_When I merely stared at him, he continued, "Mel, I know it's her right to know about Andrea. Just give me time to figure out the best way to tell her. If she finds out about this the wrong way, she might think the only reason I made love to her was because of the body. Christ! I could care less what body she was in last night…or any night and day, for that matter!"_

"_I think you _do_ care what body she was placed in, Ian," I corrected him. "If you didn't, you really wouldn't have cared that it was your ex-girlfriend's body she was wearing."_

"_Anything but _that_," he growled._

"_Too late to change anything now."_

"_Like I didn't know that?" _

_I just rolled my eyes at him. "O by the way, I meant to ask you something," I said, quickly changing the topic. "Did Jared give you those condoms you used with Wanda? Because we're running low on them and he better not have given you our entire stash."_

"_Don't worry, Mel. I had my own."_

"_You did? How – I mean, why?" _

_He stared at the floor for a solid minute, clenching and unclenching his jaw, before he replied. "Andrea. Cabin," was all he said. But I understood what he meant by those two simple words. He told us his story about the cabin. When he and Kyle started to go on the run, the only stuff he got to bring was the one he already packed for that trip. And being the careful guy that he was, he must have brought a box for their little escapade. What a reminder to carry with him this whole time! I'm surprised he didn't ditch the box the moment he saw a trash can._

_Before I could say or do something to placate him, Wanda's voice broke through the room._

- - - - -

**Ian POV**

Two weeks have passed before the rains finally ended. Once again, the place looked like the inside of a giant ant hill – busybodies scurrying around with huge loads on their backs; too anxious to return to their respective caves. The whole place stunk of wet creosote. I never got myself to appreciate its overpowering fragrance; mainly because I prefer the smell of a wet Wanda over any other kind of bush.

While the men were in-charge of hauling the cots and mattresses back to the rooms, the women were tasked with the general cave cleanup. It was funny seeing Wanda trying to drag a reluctant Mel to help with all the laundry. She preferred using her muscles to help the men carry stuff rather than sit on her ass and wash dirty clothes the whole day. Good thing Lily took Mel's other arm before Jared would be forced to drag her to the river room himself.

I was excited, too, to finally get back to our cave. The past couple weeks have been hard on Wanda and I. We were running out of corridors to hide in and all our blankets were now completely soaked in mud. Once, Doc almost walked in on us when we escaped to the Hospital Wing during one of our "lunches". Grateful for the south exit, he never did. It would be a refreshing change to finally be able to use a real mattress again.

Jaime helped me bring ours back to the room after we dropped off the other one at Aaron and Brandt's. The mud had pretty much dried up, leaving a thick blanket of dust on the floor. I propped the mattress off to the side while I scanned the caves for some kind of broom. Funny how, before the invasion, I could only associate brooms with witches and warlocks and that one book series called, 'Hairy Pothead' or something like that. I never really paid much attention to those teenage hypes.

I borrowed the one Lucina kept all the way in the kitchens. The trek back to our room, with a broom over my shoulder, earned me a handful of hoots and catcalls from the people I passed.

"It's not Halloween yet, O'Shea!"

"Mind cleaning my room next?"

"Where you off to? Didja run out of gas?"

"Quidditch season here already, Potter?"

The worst came from Kyle which, as a result, garnered him a pretty nice fat lip from me.

"I know Wanda needs a spanking every now and then…but a broom, Ian?"

He wasn't laughing so much after my fist connected with his mouth. Too bad Sunny was there to witness it. Poor girl must really be terrified of me now.

When I finally reached the grey and red doors, I stopped right at the entrance – holding both ends of the broom, which I lazily balanced over my shoulders. I glanced around the room, scrutinizing the place that Wanda and I will officially be calling our own. My eyes lingered on the floor and memories from that first night slowly filled my head. I smiled to myself as I recalled the look on Wanda's face when my tongue gave her her first climax. Her whole body had flushed a delicious strawberry shade of red. I felt myself getting harder remembering the events in my head.

Then, of course, there was the scene after – when Wanda and I finally made love to each other. People usually only remember _their_ first time. Not me. I'll forever remember Wanda's first time. I'll never forget how her long, golden hair cascaded down her back when she arched her body closer to me; how her eyes rolled to the back of her head whenever I hit the perfect spot; how her lips parted as she moaned my name; how her nails dug into my skin when she felt herself starting to lose control; and most importantly, how her wet center had welcomed me as I slid my shaft all the way inside.

I closed my eyes and took a couple deep breaths to slow down the rush of blood to the muscle in between my thighs. When I finally calmed down a bit, I reopened my eyes and reminded myself of the reason why I was holding a damn broom on my shoulders.

Like a man needing to prepare the abode for his new bride, I pushed myself through the doorway and quickly sent my ass to work. I never realized how much I missed my mom and her loud vacuum, until now. I've never learned how to use a vacuum; much less know what to do with a broom. I knew I was doing a lousy job at sweeping, but I think Wanda would still give me an 'A' for effort. At least I tried and that should count for something, right?

As I was about to put away that dastardly thing, something under the dresser caught my eye. I bent down to pick it up and examine it. It looked like an innocent piece of paper covered in dried mud. I wiped the dirt off with my shirt to get a better look at the thing. My lungs stopped working the moment I realized what it was.

It was a very faded and weatherworn picture, date-stamped seven years ago – a picture of Andrea and me taken after one of my soccer games.

The hand that held the picture trembled in place, while the other housed white knuckles that threatened to rip out of their skin. Despite the adrenalin that started to pump wildly through my body, I stood there, frozen, for what felt like hours. It wasn't until I heard footsteps coming down the hall that I finally jerked back to reality.

Hastily, I grabbed the backpack that hung on a makeshift hook on the wall, and stuffed the picture at the bottom of it.

Seconds later, Wanda wobbled through the doorway, carrying a substantial amount of neatly folded clothes and blankets on her arms. I literally jumped towards her and scooped both her, and the load, in my arms before she lost her balance.

"Wanda, what the heck were you thinking trying to carry all this by yourself?" I reprimanded her.

"Well…" she mumbled quietly into the clothes, "I didn't think you'd be in the room so I tried to sneak in here to get the place ready for both of us. Please don't be mad. I didn't want to have to take two trips in case I might bump into you in the hallway. Besides, at least I made it all the way to the room this time."

"_This time? _What do you mean _'this time'_? "

"Never mind." She quickly recanted her statement.

"Oh, Wanda," I sighed. Before I could get any more words through her, she lifted her chin in my direction and she gave me her most guileless smile, ever. "I hate it when you do that, y'know," I pointed out.

"You hate it when I smile at you?" she asked innocently.

I shook my head, smiling at her weak attempt to distract me. "Never mind," I copied her.

I set her down on her feet and immediately seized the load from her arms. I placed the stack on top of the dresser before turning back to face her. She still wore that smile on her face and I almost forgot to restrain myself from attacking those succulent lips right then and there. Instead, I gently grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. I lowered my head and planted a soft kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Teaser," she mused.

I chuckled before meeting her lips with mine.

"_WANDA!" _

She suddenly jumped away from me, her big grey eyes wide in shock.

"Wanda, I know you're in there!"

"Oh! Mel" she yelped, chagrin clear on her face.

Mel popped her head through the doors and said, "There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

"Hey, Mel. What's up?" I asked. _Well, other than my erection, that is; until you interrupted – _I added mentally.I glared at her, desperately trying to control my annoyance at her interruption.

"Oh, nothing," she said calmly, walking inside the room. "I wanted to ask Wanda something about _um…_the laundry. Right. That's it. I needed to ask her something about the laundry," she lied.

_Nice choice of words, _I thought. I knew she wanted to talk to Wanda privately so I took that as my cue to leave, even though I was unwilling to. As much as I hated leaving her right now, I knew I had to. Wanda trusts me with her whole Soul but there were just some things that she felt comfortable telling Mel only. I was just grateful that Mel disclosed everything to me after – if she sensed Wanda was in any danger of losing her host again.

Wanda quickly pecked me on the cheek and asked, "See you at lunch?"

"Sure will," I promised, giving her one last hug.

The moment I shoved the doors closed behind me, someone pulled me to the darkness and covered my mouth.

"Shh…It's just me," Jared hissed.

"What the – " I sputtered through his hand.

"Be quiet or they'll hear us."

I nodded and he let go of me.

With the faintest volume, he explained, "Wanda mentioned something to Mel, while they were washing laundry, about Andrea popping back again." When my body stiffened, he quickly added, " But it's not what you think. Andrea didn't say anything this time. Wanda said she just…moaned."

"Moaned? Does this mean she's back?" I asked, starting to panic.

"No. Not yet at least. It's just the same as last time. She popped in, and then popped right back out. But before she could ask her more about it, Wanda upped and left the river room without as much as a glance back. Mel grabbed me from the kitchen and told me all about it. She wanted me here to eavesdrop while she interrogated Wanda. She needed another set of ears to interpret Wanda's reactions."

"So why am _I_ here?"

"To know the truth. Didn't you say you wanted to know what's going on with her? Well, now's your chance, Ian."

I clenched my jaw and nodded once. Half of me wanted to know, the other half preferred to be kept in the dark. The curious part eventually edged out and Jared and I found ourselves crouched outside the doors, straining our ears to listen in on their conversation.

- - - - -

**Mel POV**

_Oh, no she didn't. Wanda did not just drop that bomb on me and leave me hanging without further explanations. If I have to, I'm going to wring that scrawny little neck of hers till she spills all her deepest, darkest secrets._

I was seething inside as I trudged my way to the living quarters, with Jared in tow. Whether she likes it or not, I was going to make her spill her guts out until this whole thing gets resolved. There should be no secrets between sisters – no matter how grave they are. This doesn't involve her only. This is about all of us; even if she doesn't know it yet.

"Stay here in the shadows and grab Ian as soon as I kick him out of the room," I whispered to Jared.

He silently nodded and slipped into an unlit section of the tunnel.

"WANDA!" I yelled from outside their room, pretending to look for her. "Wanda, I know you're in there!" I pushed one of the doors to the side and stuck my head in. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you," I said in my sweetest tone possible.

"Hey, Mel. What's up?" Ian said. His voice was welcoming but his eyes were shooting daggers in my direction. Both of them were looking at me and I could almost see the blinking _'Get Lost'_ neon sign on top of their heads.

_Woops._ I must have interrupted their little make out session. I ignored them altogether.

"Oh, nothing," I said coolly, stepping into the room. "I wanted to ask Wanda something about _um…_the laundry. Right. That's it. I needed to ask her something about the laundry," I lied. _Crap. _I'm starting to lie like Wanda! Oh well…

But come to think of it, we will be talking about laundry – _her_ laundry, to be exact. Ever heard of the expression _'Airing out your dirty laundry?'_

I stared at Ian, hoping he would get the hint. He is a smart boy, after all.

He didn't respond but his expression became resigned. Wanda took one look at him and immediately knew their little make out session was cut short. She kissed him once on the cheek and mumbled something in his ear that I couldn't quite catch. Whatever it was, he just hugged her before stalking out of the room.

I turned my attention to Wanda. "Spill," I ordered.

"Spill what?" she asked innocently.

I cocked my eyebrow and crossed my arms in front of me.

She sighed and walked towards the mattress against the wall. "Help me with this?"

I walked over to the other end of the mattress and helped her position it in the middle of the room. Finally satisfied with the new arrangement, she took off her shoes and sat in the middle of it. She motioned for me to take a seat beside her.

"What do you want to know?" she asked without looking at me.

"Tell me everything about the latest incident with your host. Don't skip any parts and don't try to leave me hanging again. I know you do that to avoid having to lie to me. We're sisters, Wanda. Nothing can be that bad that you'd try to hide it from me. So your host moaned – big deal. It's nothing to worry about, I'm sure. She's not alive in there, is she?"

"No. I mean – I don't know. For the most part, she's not there, I guess."

"Refresh my memory. When did you say this happened again?" I prodded.

"Two days ago."

"And what were you doing at that time?"

"Ian and I were in the hospital wing. We –"

"Okay. 'Nuff said," I interrupted. "So basically, it's just like the last time. You were feeling overwhelmed. Wow. Must have been a really big orgasm to bring her out again," I pointed out.

"Mel!" she squealed, playfully punching me in the gut.

I chuckled. She rolled her eyes.

"Seriously," she said. "I'm starting to get worried about this. The two times it's ever happened, it was always right after Ian and I made love. Sometimes I wonder if we should just stop fooling around because for some reason, I'm scared she'll pop back out. I know it's so wrong of me to even think it. I shouldn't even think it. What if she's really alive inside and just biding her time before showing herself? First, she claimed Ian as hers. The second, she moaned when Ian and I came together. What's next? Will she finally show herself in the middle of us having sex?"

"Are you even sure it wasn't just you who moaned?" I asked skeptically, although already knowing the answer.

"I'm positive, Mel. It felt like something more than just a moan – like this host knows him or something. The feeling was all too familiar and confusing at the same time," she exclaimed, falling back into the mattress.

I remained rooted in my seat, unable to move. _She knows. Or, at least, she's starting to suspect something. _Ian doesn't want me to tell her. But what if she asks?

"Mel," she said, sitting up. "Tell me about this host. What do you know about her? Like where did you find her?"

I glanced towards the door, hoping Jared and Ian were still listening. _Ian, if you don't want me to say anything, I suggest you get your big butt in here right now._

As if on cue, Jared shoves the red door aside and barges in. "Hey Mel. Wanda. Knew I'd find both of you here. Jeb is looking for us; says we're running out of supplies. Guess it's time for another raid. You both in?"

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A/N (again): I know I promised to update last weekend. Well, it took a little longer as you can tell. My fingers are fried along with my poor laptop. LOL RIP dear one.**

**Once again, please review. That can be your Christmas gift to me as well. Happy Holidays!! XD**


	9. The Unexpected Raid

**A/N: OH My Ian! 56 reviews!! You gals (& guys?) are way beyond awesome! You gave me the inspiration to keep on writing even when there were times I didn't want to anymore. And for that, I really, really thank you from the bottom of my heart.**

**Thank you to the following for your wonderful reviews: Sarcastic Half-Blood, TK-MR, FaithfullyTeamEdward1, Cherry Tulips, TeamIanandEdward, mayajane, kimmitwilight, LadyFingers20, celticbren, LHNgirl22 and mexichick95.**

**A big THANKS go out to all those who also put this in their Story Alerts & Favorite Stories List, or for adding me in their Favorite Authors List. :D I am truly grateful for that.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything about Twilight and the Host, but Gena Showalter owns all of the Lords of the Underworld. XD**

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"_I'm positive, Mel. It felt like something more than just a moan – like this host knows him or something. The feeling was all too familiar and confusing at the same time."_

**Ian POV**

Crap.

Did she? Does she? I haven't thought of a way of telling her yet. No. She couldn't have guessed or known.

I remained in my crouch beside Jared outside the double doors. Fear swept through me, rooting me in place – like a shot of nitrogen was being forced into my muscles. I could see Jared eyeing me from the corner of my eye. I opened my mouth to speak but my jaw just hung in place.

"_Mel," _she said_, "tell me about this host. What do you know about her? Like where did you find her?" _

Double crap.

Mel wasn't kidding about telling Wanda everything, if she ever asked. That I know, for sure. I thought of barging into the room to stop her from saying anything else. I considered it….I willed it…but my body had other plans. When I showed no indication of a reaction, Jared leapt towards the red door, grabbed the sides, and nearly flung it across the hall. That should have cranked my muscles to respond. But they didn't. I was as motionless as a gargoyle on a church belfry.

"Hey Mel. Wanda. Knew I'd find both of you here. Jeb is looking for us; says we're running out of supplies. Guess it's time for another raid. You both in?" Jared said.

A raid? What the…? Jeb never mentioned anything about a rai….Oh.

The connection between my brain and my body finally realigned and I found myself following Jared through the door. Both girls had the same surprised expression on their faces but Mel accompanied hers with one of relief and a look that clearly said don't-ever-put-me-in-this-position-again-or-you'll-be-chewing-your-guts-out-for-a-whole-week. I gave her a half-smile to acknowledge the threat and to say 'thanks' for keeping her word. And to Wanda, my mouth widened to form a full smile. She returned it as she pushed herself off the mattress and made her way towards me. Mel was already in Jared's arms and both of them were probably seconds away from starting a full-blown make out session inside our room.

"Raid?" I coughed loudly; making sure both of them heard me.

Jared's head jerked in my direction, breaking their tongue-fest. "Raid? Oh, right." He pulled Mel to his side, where she clung for dear life. "Let's see," he said, running his free hand through his hair, "um…Jeb mentioned something about the rains ruining a lot of our supplies – most of the food got spoiled, a lot of the tools for the fields started rusting, and," he paused, looking at Mel. "Didn't you say you needed some _personal_ supplies, hun?"

Mel shot him a sheepish grin and nodded; all the while squeezing his arm till he almost yelped.

_Condoms,_ I inferred. Only those things would have elicited a reaction like that from her.

She redirected her attention to Wanda and spoke in a tone one level short of a squeal. "A raid, Wanda! Oh, this is going to be fun! Our first official raid with our own bodies!"

For a fraction of a second, I saw the muscle under Jared's eye twitch. I knew he still felt a little uneasy about Mel going out on a raid. Losing her once really tested his sanity. But Jared – being Jared – he simply swallowed his fear and put his confidence in her on center stage. He was proud of Mel's courage and strength; the exact same qualities that brought her back to him.

Wanda joined in on her excitement and had I not tethered her to the ground beside me, she might have almost caused a tiny earthquake within the caves. Almost. The mention of raids – or any mention of a chance to help out – always got her excited. Most of us looked at it as a really dangerous chore; she, on the other hand, saw it as a chance to finally feel useful. Only Wanda would think that.

I shook my head. No chance in hell was I going to let her leave the cave. The thought of her outside, even when she was still in Mel's body, already shattered my nerves. What more while she's in this delicate body? If a seeker came upon us, she would be….I shuddered at the thought. I can't even bring myself to think of the possibility.

"No."

"What do you mean _'No'_, Ian?" Jared scoffed. "We've already talked about this before. We need her. There's nothing more to discuss. Wanda is coming with us and that's that." He spoke with a bit too much finality.

_Yes_, I knew that. I also knew that she was well capable of being a part of this mission. And _yes_, I more than knew that this was the one thing that was sure to make her happy. But _no_, I refuse to risk her – to risk it all. I refuse to use her as a tool that Jared seems to think she is. Call it a gut feeling, I guess, but something inside is telling me not to get her involved in this. Calling for a raid might have been the first thing that came to Jared's mind to disrupt their little conversation. Other than Melanie, raids are the only things he seems to think about anyway. Guess I'm not surprised that's the first thought that came out of his head. I still thank him for that. However, I did not intend to fully go through with it. If they wanted, they can do so without Wanda and myself. Mel knows the ropes; she doesn't need Wanda's hand to hold her through it.

"No, we don't. Melanie can do it. Wanda and I will stay behind. She won't be able to outrun seekers if they discover us. You don't need her." _Not like I do, _I added to myself.

The moment the last words escaped my lips, I regretted them. Wanda dropped her arms from my waist and took a couple steps away; her chin rose in defiance.

She spoke low, her voice quivered around the edges, "Why can't you have faith in me, Ian? My body may look like that of a child but I definitely am not. I am well capable to taking care of myself. If you don't wish to go, that's your choice. But I'm not staying behind if I know I can be of more help on these raids. You said so yourself – '_I can help you however I want when I'm outside._' How can I accomplish that if you won't even let me set a foot outside of these caves?"

Wanda's eyes were glazed with…fury? Hurt? She was frustrated as she had every right to be. It was rare to see anything infuriate her and the fact that I did so made me feel like a complete jerk. It wasn't like I didn't have faith in her – god knows how much faith I have in her. Seeing her work her charm while she was still in Mel's body was more than proof of that. What I felt was something totally different. Possessiveness? Maybe. Fear of losing her? Definitely. I trust her but not the world around her. But for Wanda, that just means having to. Trust was ingrained into their being – something we, humans, lost centuries ago the moment Adam and Eve bit into that apple.

I reached out to Wanda and pulled her to me. She tried to resist; but only just a bit. I couldn't stand seeing her mad – and at me, I might add.

Cupping her chin to look at me, I whispered softly, "Can't a guy be a little overprotective over his woman?"

The fire that was in her eyes slowly traveled to her cheeks, making them flush a luscious pink color. How delicious she looked right now, like always. It took all of my restraint to stop myself from leaning down and tasting that heat against my lips. Her gaze was on my mouth and I knew her resolve was slowly crumbling as well.

Despite the distraction, I continued, "I know you can do it, Wanda. It's just…how do I explain it?" I paused. "I've lost you once, okay? You took my heart with you when you left me in that room to get yourself extracted by Doc. I've only gotten you back. It's not that I don't trust you able to do this. I do. I really do. But the world around us is a whole different thing. They may be Souls, but there are still those who would not hesitate to pull a trigger on us. If they hurt you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. And if someone took you away from me…"

She silenced me by covering my lips with hers.

She understood. _God, I love her._

I pulled her closer, fusing our bodies together until every inch of her connected to every inch of me. I felt myself getting hard again when she bit my lower lip. A moan escaped me when her core pressed against my thigh. It was as if Mel never interrupted us in the first place and the past hour never happened. It was as if no one else was in the room but just the two of us – locked in a tight embrace, slowly inching towards the bed.

Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones in the room.

"Raid?" Mel coughed loudly behind us, mimicking my disruption of their little reunion earlier.

But unlike them, we did not pull away from each other. I did, however, utter a mumbled response during the short moments Wanda and I had to catch our breaths. "Fine," -Inhale. "If she's going," -Exhale. "Then I'm going too," -Kiss. "But if I sense the smallest hint of trouble," -Inhale. "We're going back," -Kiss. "Got that, Howe?" -Exhale. All the while, Wanda alternated between kissing, panting and giggling. I didn't even bother to look at Jared for his response. Regardless of what he thinks, that was my condition.

He snorted but muttered, "Fine. C'mon, Mel. Let's go find Jeb before these two think we've got voyeuristic tendencies."

Mel didn't even hesitate as both of them bolted out of the room.

And with that, we were finally alone again.

- - - - -

**Wanda POV**

I was mad. Seething, actually. I don't like the feeling and I hated the fact that Ian was the one who brought these fierce emotions out of me. So much negativity and I couldn't help myself. I was a Soul, for crying out loud. By nature, I should be understanding, kind, sympathetic, and just simply, whipped cream with a cherry on top. But Ian's lack of faith in me was utterly unnerving. I already felt useless inside these caves. When an opportunity like this came up, I reveled in it. He was being irrational. He really was. Have I not proven myself enough? Did he really think of me as a child, incapable of responsibility? My emotions gushed out of me through the harshness of my tone.

And then…Ian called me 'his woman'. _His. Woman._ Two words that completely doused the flames of fury inside me. Just like that, the red haze disappeared. He didn't see me as a child like I thought he did. The big lug was just being 'overprotective', as he pointed out. I didn't want a bodyguard. True. But Ian wasn't one. He is more than that. He is my overly protective guardian angel. It wasn't me that he didn't trust. He didn't fear that I would screw everything up. No, it was far from that. His only fear was to lose me- his woman. Again.

The moment I meshed our lips together, all my doubts and fears disappeared in a puff of smoke. Even my curiosity for this Host was shoved to the back of my head. Right now, this moment, all that mattered was Ian. My Ian. _Mine._ No matter what happens out there, he will forever be mine.

As he lowered me unto the bed, I vowed to forever belong to him, as well.

And that's when Mel's booming voice echoed through the hallway, "Both of you have five minutes. Then you better get your asses to the kitchen so we can start planning this raid. If not, we're sending Kyle to get you! That should give you more than enough time for a quickie. Or do you just need a minute, O'Shea?"

Jared's thunderous guffaw rumbled the caves, causing a light dusting of sand to fall through the ceiling cracks and onto us.

Ian growled under his breath and grumbled something about 'party-poopers'. Then with a heavy sigh, he said, "So much for breaking in this _new _mattress. Best to just get this over with, I suppose." He pushed himself off of me and held out a hand to help me up.

I stared at his outstretched palm, cocked my head to the side and eyed him speculatively. "They said we have five minutes. Why are you getting up?" Our first time on a honest-to-goodness mattress and he'd rather go plan a raid? If there was a Soul inside Jared, I would have suspected it had invaded Ian's body too. What the heck was he thinking, passing up a few precious minutes of each other for hours of extensive planning?

"Trust me, sweetheart. What I have planned for us will take more than just five minutes. Once I get started, there's no turning back," he said with a wink. "Besides, the faster we get this over with, the sooner we can come back and bless this place properly. I'd rather savor you for hours than do a hit-and-run in five minutes."

Oh. I giggled – a failed attempt at trying to laugh seductively – at the images forming inside my head. Ian really does know what a girl wanted. As much as my blood is severely heated up right now, the thought of being locked in this room, with him on top of me the whole night, sounded much more enticing. I placed my tiny hand unto his and he jerked me against his muscled chest, making me gasp as a jolt of electricity sparked between our bodies.

"F-Five m-minutes?" I croaked. Staring into those intense sapphire eyes always made me sound like a babbling idiot.

He smiled wickedly and my heart started beating fast; for a moment, I thought we would actually get our five minutes of pleasure. But he shook his head and whispered, "Later, love, I promise."

I was a tiny bit disappointed but agreed anyway. "Later," I said, planting a quick kiss on his nose. "My love."

He chuckled and pulled me tighter. "Keep doing that and we might have an angry Kyle busting in on us in the middle of an orgasm."

"It'll really take you just five minutes to orgasm?" I teased.

"You know what I mean."

"Sadly, I do."

We both laughed as he set me down on my feet. We made our way to the kitchen, towards the sounds of animated voices and bubbling laughter. My heart was thrumming with the anticipation of what would happen tonight.

- - - - -

_Tonight._

I almost screamed at the thought. Again.

They wanted to leave for the raid…tonight.

I didn't know we were that in need of supplies. Granted, the rain did destroy pretty much everything, leaving behind boxes of moldy crackers and mud-soaked bags of flour. I hated knowing we would be leaving our brothers and sisters here in the caves with nothing more than a hope and a prayer to feed upon. But couldn't they, at least, let us spend one measly night in our own room before we headed out? Mel and I tried to argue our case but Jeb put his gavel down – aka rifle – and specifically said 'tonight'. As Jeb puts is, _'My house, my rules.'_ That was as good as any decree.

Ian went with Jared to get the Jeep. It was faster and easier to bring it closer than having to carry our heavy backpacks through miles and miles across the desert. Aaron and Brandt were coming with us too. Jeb wanted Kyle to be a part of the raiding team but Sunny just about went hysterical at the thought of being away from him for more than a day. Of course, Jaime tried to volunteer but they pretty much ignored him. Poor kid. I didn't want to see him so disappointed but I had no choice but to deny him as well. Just looking back at the last real raid he went on still raised goose bumps on my skin.

Mel and I sulked back to our respective rooms to pack for the trip. She said we didn't have to bring much since we could always purchase the essentials from the stores. But for some reason, a part of me wanted to be thorough and make sure I packed two of everything I thought we might need.

I assembled the items in a neat pile on the bed and looked around the room for Ian's backpack. The bag I used before now belongs to Mel, leaving me to stow my stuff with his. I groaned when I saw the thing hung on a high hook beside the dresser. I flipped over a nearby crate, climbed on top of it and made to reach for the bag. The moment my fingers took hold of the straps, I lost my balance and fell back onto the bed – smashing everything that was under me. The backpack landed with a thump inside the overturned crate.

I straightened up and started towards it, rubbing my sore bottom along the way. Ian isn't going to like seeing me in pain so I best put on my poker face and not let him see the bruises I knew were already forming on my back. I guess it's a good thing we won't be seeing each other's naked bodies tonight. He'll definitely notice, for sure.

_Sigh._

Who am I fooling? I'd rather risk showing him my bruises than bear not being able to see his naked body.

I grudgingly emptied the contents of the backpack into the crate. Pieces of clothing, scraps of paper and some miscellaneous knick-knacks fell from it. I sifted through the junk, curious of the items that Ian had in his possession. I picked up a small, circular metal object, with a person's face embossed on one side, and examined it.

A half dollar.

I've seen it on Mel's memories but never had I seen one in person. This must be what they used as currency before. Interesting.

I put it down and picked up a photograph.

The two people smiling back at me made me smile back. A younger Ian and Kyle – their arms were around each other's shoulders. They both had their shirts off and sweat trickled down the ridges of their well-toned, bronze muscles. In between them was a gold trophy with a statue of a man kicking a soccer ball at the top. They had just won a championship, I thought.

Seeing them like this sent a wave of pride through me. But it was immediately washed away when I finally comprehended how much the Souls had taken away from them. It left me feeling a little bit sick, uneasy. I swallowed the bile that threatened to crawl up my throat as I stuffed the picture inside one of the bag's many side pockets.

As I continued perusing through the pile, I saw another photograph peaking from under a dirty rag. This one made me smile even bigger. It was a picture of Ian and Me. Our arms were around each other and we had the cheesiest smiles ever.

Oh. Wait.

This picture was date stamped…gulp. Seven years ago.

A numbing awareness flashed through me as realization set in. My smile quickly faded.

How the-? What the hell is going on here? Why is there a picture of Ian and me from seven years ago? Does he-?

My mind stormed with so many questions. I didn't know where to start or how to begin. It was like bits and pieces of a huge puzzle that didn't fit together. I stared at the picture for a few seconds…minutes…hours, maybe? I wasn't sure. Cold sweat coursed through my hands and my body shook with uncertainty. My knees were aching from being strained into a single position for so long. The sharp rocks underneath me started to cut through my skin.

I tried to shake off the nauseating feeling. This girl in the picture can't be my Host. I refused to believe it. I searched through my mind for her memories but found none. Only Pet's memories lingered.

The few times I was able to catch a glimpse of my face when cleaning mirrors, I saw that same person staring back at me. Gold, wavy hair that flowed down my back, a dusting of freckles on the bridge of my nose, long golden lashes that protected big, round, gray eyes, and full lips that were still shaped like a baby's – the exact same image in the picture; just a little younger. Seven years younger, to be exact.

I had so many questions without a single answer in sight.

But amidst all this uncertainty, only one thing was for certain – Ian knows this Host and I have every intention of finding out who she is. Or was.

"You ready, Wanda?" I almost jumped when I heard Mel call out from outside the doors.

Quickly shoving the picture in my jean's back pocket, I yelled back, "Almost."

She stepped inside our room, took one glance around the mayhem, and shook her head. "If this is what 'almost' is like, I wonder how this place looked like when you started. Sheesh, Wanda. The guys will be back any minute now with the jeep and your room appears as if a Tazmanian Devil stopped by and decided to take residence here."

Without as much as a word, I hunched my shoulders in embarrassment and started shoving random things into the backpack. I didn't even think about what I was stuffing inside; my mind was severely distracted at the moment.

As I thought more about that picture, the more some things were starting to make sense – Ian's hesitation, for one. No wonder he was always careful about not kissing me at the start. It made sense, I think. Or did it? Then again, it ended up opening a whole different set of questions. More questions which resulted in even more confusion.

Do Mel and Jared know this Host too? Did they purposely intend to keep me in the dark about this? How is that picture possible? Who the hell is this Host? Again and again, that same question plagued my thoughts.

"Uh…Hello? Earth to Wanda?"

"Oh. Sorry, Mel. Were you saying something?"

She mock-smacked her forehead and said, "Geez. And I thought I was the one who easily gets distracted. I was telling you to hurry up. They're here already. I just heard Jared telling Jaime to stay put, all the way from the Central Plaza."

I nodded and swiftly stuffed the rest of the items from the bed into whatever space I could squeeze them into. When I was done, I shoved the bag over my shoulder and the weight of it toppled me backward – onto my butt. Again.

Mel hurried towards me, grabbed me under my shoulders and helped me to my feet. All the while stifling her laughter. She tried to grab my backpack from me but I jerked it back.

"I'm fine," I barked. "I just didn't anticipate the weight of it, that's all."

I walked past her and sprinted – more like crawled – down the hallway. Mel, with her long legs, easily kept up.

"Are you sure? You don't have to be embarrassed to ask for help, you know?"

"I know," I said, trying to hide the fact that I was starting to run out of breath. She was right, though. This backpack was too heavy for me but I didn't want her to know that. I didn't want to show weakness no matter that this bag was going to be the death of me.

"Something bothering you, Wanda?"

I didn't feel like answering her at the moment. I wanted answers, yes. But I want them from Ian first. So I just shook my head.

"Look, I know it's a bummer that none of us get to spend our first night inside our caves after the rain, especially you and Ian. But look on the bright side – you'll both have your own motel room when we get into town," she said, trying vainly to cheer me up.

I sighed. That's true. That would be the perfect time for me to ask him about that picture. I just didn't know if I could wait till then.

"You're right," I said flatly. "That's something to look forward to, I guess." I gave her a little grin and, thankfully, she took that as a sign that things will be better now. She has absolutely no idea what had gotten me into such a sour mood.

She smiled back.

When we reached the Central Plaza, Jared or Jaime weren't there anymore so we continued towards the cave entrance. Half of the residents were there to bid us farewell. I caught a flash of strawberry-red hair from the corner of my eye and was shocked to find that even Sharon had come out to wish the raiders luck. When she caught me staring at her, she gave me a curt nod and returned her attention to Jared and Mel. That little acknowledgement was the silver lining amidst this dark cloud. The tiniest hint of acceptance was enough to make me smile back.

Ian was by the truck, checking for tire pressure and prying stones that were lodged deep in the tire grooves. I made my way towards him but was suddenly tackled by an overly exuberant Jaime.

"I'm gonna miss you, Wanda," he said into my hair.

"I'm…going to….miss you, too…Jaime," I choked out, barely able to breathe against the crushing pressure of his hug.

He didn't release me but continued to rock me from side to side.

"She may be an alien, Jaime, but I think she still needs air to breathe," a familiar voice called over my shoulder. Ian.

He relieved me from Jaime's death hug and tugged me into his gentler embrace. I tried to squirm out but found his hold was just as strong as Jaime's.

"Hey!" Jaime complained, attempting to tug me back. "I wasn't done hugging Wanda yet!"

"Yes, you are, kid," Jeb retorted from behind Ian. "Light is almost upon us and this lot should have been on their way hours ago."

"But I haven't even gotten to say 'Good Luck' to her yet." he whined, brows furrowed in annoyance.

"You just did, sweetie" I chuckled, reaching out to pat his cheek. "Don't worry, Jaime. We'll be back before you know it. We'll see each other later, okay?"

"You got that right, alligator," he mused. "Don't take too long, okay?"

I nodded.

"And Ian," he added, eyeing him narrowly.

"Yeah?"

While poking Ian on the chest, Jaime warned, "Keep her safe or you'll have to deal with me when you get back. You got that O'Shea?"

Ian rolled his eyes and muttered, "What is up with you Stryders and last names?"

"Look who's talking," Mel yelled over her shoulder.

Jeb and I chuckled.

"Let's go! Sometime now, people!" Jared's voice broke through the 'good lucks' and 'goodbyes'. He gunned the engine for emphasis.

Mel called 'shotgun', of course, and jumped into the passenger seat. Aaron squeezed into the small seating area with all the bags while Brandt sprawled himself across the back seat.

Before I got a chance to resist, Ian made a grab for my backpack. I scowled at him but was partially grateful to finally be rid of the backbreaking load. I blew a kiss to Jaime and waved to the rest of the crowd. Just in case something happened to us, I took a mental picture of everyone's faces one last time before claiming the seat in between Ian and Brandt.

"Come back to us," Trudy shouted over the roars of the engine, waving her hands at us.

Everyone else joined in on a chorus of 'Be safe' and 'Good Luck'.

Jeb smacked the butt of the jeep, and said "Giddyup! Bring them home safely, Jared."

"As always," Jared replied.

He set the jeep into drive. And with that, we rode into the desert's darkness.

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A/N (again): Sorry about the delay. Holidays, you know. LOL

**Okay, not really. I just had a bad case of writer's block. That, and the fact that I was too preoccupied with my new eBook reader and having all the Gena Showalter novels at my disposal.**

**Once again, please please please (with a cherry on top!) Review. Love it, Hate it, or Meh. I always respond to reviews, whether good or bad. :)**


	10. Chance Encounter

**A/N: Okay. So this chapter leads to that long awaited confrontation but ended up being almost 4000 words long without even reaching that crucial part. I had no choice but to split it in two. But here's my treat for you – at least you get both chapters at once! :) Hope you enjoy it!**

**Thank you again to the following for being my awesome reviewers: Cherry Tulips (yey! Thanks for the 2 reviews, girl!), Lady Fingers20, RinFathom, celticbren, Dizzien, kimmitwilight, TeamIanandEdward, Psyche101 and SQUIDZ.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer still owns everything about the Host. And if she doesn't reveal any news about the movie soon, I'll…I'll….still continue to wait patiently. :P**

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Ian POV**

The ride through the desert took longer than we expected. First rays of dawn started peeking through dark October clouds, softly highlighting random patches of land in front of us. Jared dodged creosote bushes and madrone trees while visibly staying within the confines of the last remaining shadows of the night. We were cutting it a little close to reach the car cache. Fortunately, the rest of the desert remained still.

Wanda fell asleep on my shoulder roughly around five minutes into the drive. It had been a long day for all of us. How Jeb thought it was necessary to leave within the night was beyond me. Even so, how anyone of us managed to stay awake until now, sans Wanda, was just as inconceivable. My body felt like crap. What I would do to take a nice hot shower right about now and lay down on a soft, warm bed with her beside me. The image of her splayed on top of me after making love the whole night until we were both sated were constantly interrupted with Jared's sudden swerves and the unnerving bumps as the jeep paved it's way around rocks and low bushes.

I had initially cursed Jeb for making us leave right away. All that work for nothing. I shouldn't have bothered preparing the room for our first night there. But when I thought longer about it, I realized it worked out for the better. It may not be our room tonight, but at least it was going to be on a soft, clean bed. And air-conditioning to boot! Aah! The feel of it against our naked bodies would be more than I could ask for. Maybe I should put it on full blast so Wanda will want to snuggle closer to me. Ha! Now that's a thought to look forward to. Then I can keep running my hands all over her….

Bump.

_Dammit!_

"Ey, Jared," I called.

"What?"

"Have you checked the shocks on this jeep recently? Do me a favor and check them before we head out next time."

"Next time, make yourself useful and do it yourself. The shocks are perfectly fine up here, along with everything else. Isn't that right, Jessie?" he purred, patting the dashboard like a cherished pet.

"Jessie? Since when did you name the jeep 'Jessie'?" Mel snorted.

"Since you went away and I got lonely," he replied, inclining his head to the right to smile at her.

Even from my seat, I could tell Mel was rolling her eyes.

"Gross," she said.

"Aw, c'mon, baby. At least I just took on a mechanical lover and not one with flesh and blood."

Mel cringed. "Ew, again. I hope you cleaned the seats right after."

"Jared, you do know how messed up that sounds, right?" I cracked from my seat.

"You two go ahead and think whatever you want. Jessie and I go way back."

"Then I hope for your sake, you cleaned the back seat too." I said.

After a couple more minutes of pure butt torture, I couldn't help but utter in my whiniest voice ever, "Dad, are we there yet?"

"Now don't make me pull over and beat the crap out of you," Jared called over his shoulder with his poor attempt at a Homer Simpson impersonation.

Mel and I chuckled. Had Brandt and Aaron not been on a zombie-like state from staying up so late, I'm sure they would have laughed at that too. It was nice seeing Jared finally joking around with us. If Wanda had not come back to the caves with Mel, I would have sworn that guy was born with a scowl on his face. One more reason, along with the million others, I thank the Souls for bringing Wanda into this Earth. I leaned down and kissed the top of her head, letting her unique scent of gardenias and vanilla invade my senses.

"I had to take the longer route to the cache; the other route was blocked by pools left over by the rain. I tried to go through them but some were just too deep," Jared explained. "Can't let-"

"Jessie be soaked and, god-forbid, drown. Yeah, yeah. I get you," I finished for him.

Thankfully, as we rounded a large Joshua tree, I saw the faint outline of the familiar rockslide formation that hid the car cache. After a couple more grueling minutes, Jared finally had the jeep lodged in between two huge boulders that would house it until we came back with the van. Everyone else quickly dismounted, grabbed their belongings, and made their way towards the van.

Not wanting to wake Wanda, I gently picked her up and carried her close to my chest. Maneuvering my way through the rest of the supplies in the back, I managed to slide off the jeep without jostling her. Still, she woke up.

"Ian?" she groaned, forcing her lids to open.

"Shh...go back to sleep, love. We're changing vehicles. I'm just going to transfer you to the van," I reassured her.

"No, no. Put me down, Ian," she insisted, wriggling herself from my arms.

Being half-awake myself, I was hardly able to maintain my hold on her and she stumbled down to the ground.

"Wanda," I grumbled, trying to reach for her again. "Don't. You need your sleep and I am well able and awake enough to carry you to the van," I lied.

"As I am able to walk on my own two feet too," she argued. She walked past me and returned to the jeep to retrieve our bag. I didn't have the strength to argue with her so I just followed her, making sure to grab it before she did.

Jared shone a flashlight towards the jeep and I couldn't help but yell back, "Jessie's fine, Jared. Geez! We're not taking her out for a joy ride, alright!" _Well, not tonight, at least. _I snickered to myself. I glanced back to introduce him to the four phalanges of my middle finger.

"Dude, that's not me," Jared spoke from beside me, his gaze also turning towards the source of the light.

"Brandt?" I called out through the darkness.

Instead of Brandt or Aaron, it was an unfamiliar voice that answered.

"Steady, now, everybody just keep calm," the man's voice said. In that same moment, the silhouette of eight seekers surrounding us came into view. Each one – except the tall one in the back – brandished a weapon; their strides were fiercely predatory; armed and ready to strike at the slightest movement from their prey. I automatically reached for my holster but soon realized that Brandt wielded our only gun. Their seven aimed at our defenseless five.

I pulled Wanda behind me, obscuring her from their view. If this lot were indeed seekers, I would not let them take Wanda without a fight. I would not let them touch my friends without a fight. Jared tried to shove Mel behind him but she wouldn't budge. She was frozen in place, along with everyone else.

_Godammit!_

Why now? Why the – _fucking_ – hell now? I didn't get Wanda back just to lose her the moment we went out of the caves. Can we not have a decent life for once safe from Seekers? What is it about this lifetime that just makes a mockery out of every one who tries to live it? Life, as we know it, sure sucks balls.

I presumed one of us must have fumbled for their pill because the man immediately said, "Wait, wait, don't be swallowing anything! Jeez, get a grip! No, look!"

He held the flashlight towards his own face.

His eyes…

Were brown. Depthless, plain, and ordinarily brown. Just brown. No traces of silver that reflected light back to us.

What kind of sick joke was this? Human? Could there possibly be more humans still out there?

I hid Wanda tighter against my back. If they were indeed humans, she is no safer from them than if they were seekers. Human or not, they will not lay a finger on her. I could very well remember our own reception of her when Jeb had first brought her in.

"Who are you?" Jared whispered.

"The name's Nate. These here are Rob, Evan, Blake, Tom, Kim, and Rachel." As Nate introduced each one of them – _except the tall weaponless one in the back_ - they lowered their weapons. "We found your cache here – pretty clever, if I say so myself," he continued. "We got curious to know who it belonged to so we waited. And voila! Here you are. Yes, we're humans too."

After a few tense seconds, Jared decided to introduce us as well - except Wanda.

"There's eight of you and yet, I only heard seven names. You missed one," Jared pointed out.

"And so did you," he retorted. I growled low at him. The one named Rachel raised her gun again and pointed it straight at me.

"It's okay, Nate," the nameless redhead said. "They also have one of their own." He grinned and pointed straight through me and at Wanda.

Wanda peeked from behind me to look at the redheaded…Soul? I quickly realized that when a beam of light briefly flashed through his eyes, reflecting glints of silver in our direction. She slowly stepped away from the cover of my back after stroking my arm to reassure me it was okay.

Before the redheaded Soul could introduce himself to her, Blake suddenly exclaimed, "No freaking way!" Followed by Tom's, "Holy shit!"

Everyone tensed as we stared at the two. Even Nate was shocked frozen.

Pointing at Wanda, Blake exclaimed, "Shut the fucking door, tell me you guys don't have Andrea Kempner!" Then punching Tom in the arm, he said, "Can you believe that? Their native soul is Andrea Kempner!"

I immediately froze at the mention of her name. _Oh god_, could this get any worse? _Please, please, _I prayed. Wanda can not find out like this! She shouldn't find out like this.

"Dude, wait till the guys back home hears about this. They'll flip!" Tom bellowed.

"Who the hell is Andrea Kempner?" Brandt interjected, rather exasperated not knowing what the fuss was all about.

Blake cocked an eyebrow at him incredulously. "You don't know her? Seriously? She's the wealthier cousin of the notorious Hilton sisters! Their family practically owns half of Manhattan! She appeared just once at one of their charity balls and instantly, she caught the attention of all the paparazzi. Hell, TMZ even started stalking her. They couldn't get much, obviously, since she liked to keep to herself and the fact that she preferred to stay far away from the limelight. No one ever knew if she even had brothers or sisters. We wondered what ever happened to her. She just up and disappeared a year before the rest of the world knew about the invasion. But damn, I still remember that picture they took of her at the ball. She was smoking hot! I used to hang that picture of her inside my locker."

"Oh," Tom piped in, smacking Blake in the chest with the back of his hand, "Do you remember the field day they had when they found out she was still a virgin! Oh, man. I still have that article."

My blood had quickly reached its boiling point. My hands fisted tightly at my sides, exposing the whites of my knuckles. One more word about Andrea and that article and I wouldn't give a shit if these clowns held a fucking nuke in their hands. How dare they talk so callously about Andrea's body like that without any regard of her and the Soul that's in her now?

Jared shot me a warning look to keep my mouth shut. Mel's bulging eyes locked onto Wanda's own bewildered expression.

Apparently, the two blabbering idiots didn't notice the change in our expressions for they continued with their animated discussion.

"Oh hoh! Damn right, I remember that article. Did you vote on that poll they had on the website?" he asked Tom.

"Course I did. I voted for Sean Faris. That dude rocked in 'Never Back Down'." he replied.

Oblivious to the whole situation, Brandt asked, "A survey? What kind of survey?"

"The survey on who can pop her elusive little cherry. Duh. _That _survey," Blake said matter-of-factly.

"Did you ever find out who won?" Tom asked him.

"It was close. That Faris guy was leading the polls since he was her date to that charity ball. Channing Tatum stood a close second. When they caught her attending the premier of his movie, they immediately thought there was something going on between them just coz she never does go to these events. It wasn't as if they were able to take a picture of them together, you know? Shoot, I would kill to get a piece of that cherry, too. Sucks for us losers, she was way beyond our league."

"That's why it came as a total shock when that unknown soccer jock from some university just came into the picture out of nowhere. I don't even know how his name got there. But apparently TMZ caught a few shots of them together. He always had his back to them on those pictures so no one ever knew what he looked like or who the hell he was. Damn lucky bastard."

_Lucky_, my ass.

Before I had time to think, I lunged at Blake and punched him square in the jaw. No sooner had he tumbled to the ground that I had six guns aimed at my chest. I didn't want to stop at one hit and so cocked my fist back to land another one. Their weapons were aimed at me, yes. But I doubt they'd be willing to pull the trigger and have the sound echo throughout the desert – alerting the Seekers to us. All I saw was red as I felt Blake's nose break against my knuckles. "Don't. Ever – EVER. Talk about her like that. You understand me?!"

"Ian, NO!" Wanda's scream pierced the darkness. "Please. Please, stop!" she cried, thrashing against Melanie's hold.

Her pleading voice broke through my rage and I was momentarily made aware of the distinct click-click of multiple guns being cocked. Jared and Brandt struggled to separate me from the cowering Blake. The redheaded Soul looked on in horror at such display of violence.

"Calm down, O'Shea," Jared growled, pulling me away from the bleeding man. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

I cast him a murderous glare, challenging him to question my reasons one more time.

"What the _fuck_ is going on?" Nate barked at us, his gun now aimed right smack at the center of my forehead. "You've got ten seconds to explain to us why you thought it was wise to attack one of my people before I blow your goddamn brains out."

Wanda whimpered at the sound of the threat and covered her distraught face against Mel's shoulder. Mel tried to comfort her but she had already broken off into a fitful of sobs.

Jared turned to Nate and held up his hands – palms facing forward, in defense. "Look, it's not what you think, alright? O'Shea didn't just punch Blake without cause. He-"

"O'Shea?" Blake sputtered as he struggled to get on his feet. He wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand and asked, "Did you just say, '_O'Shea_'?"

Jared nodded ominously. I growled behind him and made to move towards them again but Brandt held me down.

A flicker of realization flashed through Blake and Tom's eyes and they looked at each other as if locked in a silent conversation. Their eyes widened in incredulity.

"What does O'Shea have to do with any of this?" Nate snarled at them.

Before either of them could open their mouths to explain, Jared cut them off. "I'll tell you. But," he stopped and glanced from me to Wanda, and back to me again.

"But what?" Nate asked, scowling.

"But not in front of everyone else. I would suggest putting your weapons away too," he paused with a sneer. "But I assume that would be too much to ask?"

"I don't think you're in much of a position to ask for anything, Jared. Like you said – we're the ones with the weapons."

"And I'm sure your families back home would be more than happy to know you threatened to blow the brains out of the last few surviving humans in this Earth," Jared challenged, cocking one of his eyebrows at Nate.

He relaxed his grip on the gun and lowered it. Slowly.

Clenching his jaw, he signaled for the rest to stand down. And they did – just as slowly.

Jared looked at me again and muttered under his breath, "Take Wanda to van and stay there. I'll take care of this."

Nate eyed us suspiciously but said nothing when I took Wanda's trembling hands and trudged towards the van.

As we walked, I held Wanda close to my side and felt the trembles that shivered through her body. I rubbed her arms in comfort but it did little to soothe her. We continued to walk in silence.

Once we reached the van, I opened the back doors and helped her in. She scooted straight to the space behind the driver's seat and settled there with her back against its leather padding, holding her knees against her chest. Her body had stopped trembling but her face was emotionless; her large grey eyes were narrowed, but vacant.

I climbed in, closed the door behind me and took the space beside her. When my knees accidentally brushed against her thighs, she squirmed away. I placed my hand on her knees but she shoved them away too.

Affronted, I said silently, "Look, Wanda, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to scare you back there when I punched the guy, okay? It's just that I-"

She looked up at me. "You just what, Ian? Go ahead and tell me. Seems like everyone just has a lot of surprises up their sleeves for poor ol' Wanda today, huh?"

"No, of course not. It's definitely not like that at all, Wanda."

She sighed. "Yes. I know it's not. I'm naive, Ian. Not stupid. I've already figured as much."

"You-You have?" I was taken aback. I know she suspected something but did she really figure everything out already? I wanted to curse those two to Hades but I knew I couldn't blame them for this. Granted, they did beat me to the punch with Wanda but at least I made sure my fist didn't make the same mistake. This was the conversation I have been putting off ever since her reinsertion and I knew it was bound to come up sooner or later. I just didn't expect it to happen like this.

Instead of answering, she pursed her lips and looked away.

I lowered my voice to an angry whisper, "Was it because of what they said back there?" I asked although dreading to hear the answer.

She shook her head.

"Then tell me. When, or should I say, _how_ did you figure it out?"

She didn't move or made to answer for a couple minutes. Then carefully, she reached for her back pocket and handed me a folded photograph.

My blood instantly went cold.

I didn't have to open it to know what the picture was. My fingers automatically curled around its weather-torn edges.

"What's the story, Ian?" she asked softly.

I stared at the silver lining that surrounded her irises – at Wanderer, the Soul, herself. Where do I start? I wracked my brain for a way to tell her without hurting her. Or more like, hurting her further. But as I thought harder about it, the more I realized that it was inevitable. There's no more stalling this time and definitely, no more Jared to interrupt us.

I leaned back against the backside of the passenger seat and ran my fingers through my hair, shaking off the sand and dust that had settled there from the drive. I took a deep breath and braced myself for the onslaught of emotions. God, what a night! My only hope is that she'll find it in herself to forgive me after all this has been said and done.

When I opened my mouth to speak, the doors of the van wrenched open. Jared, Nate, Blake and the redheaded Soul stood right outside of it.

Wanda glared at our audience. I, on the other hand, felt rather amused. I'm starting to wonder if Jared has some kind of freaky psychic powers to know when to butt in on a conversation.

Jared looked at us with a droll stare, "Hope we're not interrupting anything, kids."

Riiight.

Wanda growled at him.

Hold on.

Wanda _growled_ at Jared?

_Huh!_

The three strangers/acquaintances looked at me with a renewed sense of understanding and…sympathy? Jared probably told them the whole story. Must have been easy for him to retell my tale when he wasn't the one who lived it. I wished it would be that easy for me too. But one could only hope for so much.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Nate and a couple of his people will be joining us on the trip. Teach each other the ropes, so to speak. Share survival tips, stories of close-encounters-of-the-third-kind – that sort of stuff. And if we're lucky, we can roast marshmallows by the fire, while we're at it."

Blake let out a laugh then quickly brought his hand to his mouth and pretended to cough instead. Nate patted his back – a little too roughly, I might add.

"Cool," I shrugged. But what I actually meant was _'whatever'._ Didn't really care much about the raid anymore.

What I did care about was the way this other Soul was eyeing my Wanda. It was unnerving and it raised the hairs on the back of my neck. I stared fiercely back at him and hoped he got the message to 'back off my woman'.

"Oh," Nate suddenly said, "Guess my friend never got to introduce himself to you. This here's Burns. Burns Living Flowers. He calls himself a soul Gone Native. Guess the term's better than what the other Souls would consider him now."

Burns sent an inviting smile at Wanda. She returned it with a genuine smile of her own.

"Fire World," she said. "Very interesting."

He smiled wider.

"So what's the plan?" I quickly said, interrupting their little smile-fest before it got out of hand.

"We're all beat and it's not like we can sleep here in the dessert right now. Since it's still pretty early and the sun hasn't fully risen yet, Nate suggested we hit the first motel we can find. The Souls wouldn't suspect our large group. Nate says they go out like this all the time. Get things done quicker that way."

"Then what are we waiting for? Christmas is still four months away," I added sarcastically.

"Just waiting for Mel, Brandt and Aaron to grab the rest of the stuff from the jeep, then we're on our way."

"Fine. I'll start the van. I might as well take the first driving shift," I said, getting up and starting towards the driver's seat.

"Good. I'll tell them to hurry up." He walked away with the others in tow.

I glanced back at Wanda, who was still slumped behind my seat. "We'll talk later when we get to the motel, okay?"

She mumbled a silent, "okay".

Two minutes later, we were driving through the highway heading East.

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A/N (again): Yeah….I just had to include Sean Faris in my story somehow. Hahaha Please review. Love it, Hate it, or whatnot. I'll really love you for it!**


	11. Papercut

**Disclaimer: Yeah…SM still owns everything about the Host and Twilight. But I think Taylor Lautner is now **_**legally**_** available for grabs. haha**

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Ian POV**

Two hours later – and a hundred miles between us and the caves – we reached a Motel 6. Wanda got two rooms from the front desk – one for Jared and Mel, the other for us. Burns also asked for two rooms and gave the second one to Aaron and Brandt.

Before we all went to our separate rooms, Mel came up to me with a sympathetic look in her eyes and patted my arm, "She'll be fine about this, Ian. I know she will. Just tell her the truth and don't be skipping anything. You owe her that much. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

"She'll leave me?" I supplied.

"Wanda loves you too much. She wouldn't do that," she assured me. But from her tone, she wasn't quite sure about that as well. We both feared it to be true.

I smiled weakly at her and patted her hand in gratitude. We might not see eye-to-eye at times but Mel sure was a good friend to have around when it came to Wanda...or she can be a total demon if you thought to cross her or and her loved ones.

Wanda went inside the room first. I grabbed our bag and followed her, keeping my head down and making sure the scar, on the back of my neck, was visible for other Souls to see.

After locking the door, I held on to the knob for a good solid minute before taking a deep breath and turning around to face her. She stood with her back towards me – her arms were wrapped around her chest; her shoulders slumped forward like she was trying to hold herself together. How I wanted to just walk up to her, hug her and wish things were not as messed up as it was right now. How I wanted for this night to finally end with Wanda and I intertwined on the bed. How fast I would sell my Soul for a chance to change what had been. Or at the very least, would it be too much to ask for a nice, hot shower right about now?

Sadly at this point, not even the shower seemed possible.

With an audible thud, I dropped the bag onto to the carpeted floor. She jumped at the sound but made no move to turn around. She continued to stare out the window.

Did she really want to start off this way? With her back to me the whole time, refusing to look me in the face?

Fine. I guess it's better this way.

Through clenched teeth, I started, "So you want to know who she is? I'll tell you. The body that you wear - Andrea Kempner – is that of my ex-girlfriend's. You probably figured that part out already. She's the girl that I left waiting for me in a cabin the day Kyle and I found out about the invasion. Yes, I loved her even though I never got to say those words to her. Yes, she was a virgin. And yes again, she wanted to offer her virginity to me. Remember the soccer jock Blake and Tom were talking about on that poll? Bingo! That was me, alright. Andrea never saw that article. I made sure of it. It was all I could do to protect her as I swore I would. And yet…" My voice broke off.

And yet…it shouldn't matter anymore.

I closed my eyes as I remembered the day I found that damn article lying around in our frat house. It was a wonder no one recognized me wearing my favorite jersey in one of the pictures. Maybe somehow I was glad they didn't. Not even Kyle.

I walked over to the only lounge chair in the far corner of the room. I sat there with my elbows on my knees as I buried my face against my hands. Wanda shouldn't have to know my pain. She doesn't deserve to get hurt by what fate had decided to throw at me, mocking me with a hope that would never be mine. In my haste to get her into a host, I didn't even think twice about the repercussions of that one simple decision. And now, she's the one who's paying the price in full. I should just stop now.

"And yet?" she whispered.

I looked up at her. She still had her back to me but her head now leaned against the window, her breath quickly fogging the glass in front of her.

"And yet, I…I left her to fend for herself against the Souls."

Growling, I stood up and punched the wall beside me.

She flinched at the unexpected action.

"Dammit, Wanda. She was my past okay? As much as I wanted to blame this all on Mel, Jared and Jaime for picking this Host, you know I can't. I blame myself for being the useless git that stayed behind while they went out there to risk their lives to bring you back to me. I blame myself for not having had the guts to tell you about her sooner. But how the hell was I supposed to tell you? 'Hey Wanda, welcome back to Earth. Oh, by the way, you're inside my ex-girlfriend. Hope you don't mind.'" I said mockingly.

"What was I supposed to do when they came in carrying her body? Of course, we had to extract the poor Soul inside her. We couldn't risk the Soul knowing about us and killing her in the process. But would it have been better if we just left Andrea on the cot like that and gone out to find you another Host? Even if we did, there wasn't enough time to go on another raid while her body started withering, with us not caring if she would come back or not."

"So, I had to make a choice. Morally, I was obligated to keep her alive, no matter what it took. Emotionally, I knew it was for other reasons. So many nights I lay awake trying to justify my decision. In the end, there really wasn't much of a choice. Andrea was back – with you inside her or not. It didn't matter. I was confused then, I admit it. Every time I looked at you in the beginning, all I saw was her face. Touching her body felt like utter betrayal to you. When then was I supposed to tell you about her?"

"As much as I tried to argue the contrary before, you were right; it was hard to separate the body and the soul. But eventually, I did. Believe me when I say I've since moved on from her. More so, believe me when I say that it's you that I love now, Wanderer; not the body you wear."

She finally turned around and looked me straight in the eye. "Tell me honestly, Ian. Who is it you see when you're making love to me? Is this why you always closed your eyes – so you can imagine it was her?"

Her accusing words cut me deep. How can she even think that? Have I hurt her enough that I've destroyed the Soul part of her – the part that trusted without question or suspicion?

"No, Wanda. If I wanted to imagine her, all I had to do was open my eyes. I close them so I can imagine you."

Shaking her head in disbelief, "And you expect me to believe you just like that? Pretend nothing weird is going on while you continue to make out with your ex-girlfriend and me at the same time without feeling the least bit guilty about all this? I may be an alien, Ian, but that doesn't mean we don't treat love any differently than humans. As much as jealousy and betrayal are foreign to our kind, we can still feel them in this body. I should have figured it out sooner. How else could she have been overwhelmed enough to break through if not for the fact that she somehow sensed 'her Ian' was inside her body."

She glared at me an instant before she turned away again – repulsed by the thought of what she had just said. I couldn't squeal on Mel for warning us of Andrea's reappearance beforehand. She had only done it to protect her.

So, I feigned surprise at her words.

"Sh-She what? Andrea came back? When?"

"The first night we…when we…the first night it rained," she corrected herself.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Wanda looked at me as if I didn't understand a word she just said. "For the same reason you never told me about Andrea. Don't you see, Ian? We're obviously both not big on trusting each other with the truth. Tell me honestly, how are we supposed to keep a relationship this way when we can't even tell each other what's going on? Think about it. For the past two weeks, we've only managed to get each other's clothes off every single time we were together. Will there ever be anything more than just sex between us?"

_What the hell? _

"So now you're complaining about it? Seriously? Are you insane?" I practically yelled.

When I saw the horror that besieged her face, I cursed myself. God, could this night get any worse? This conversation just took a shortcut downhill to disaster. Rather than feeling better about letting it all out, I now feel like crap. And it didn't help that it was almost eight in the morning, making it almost twenty-four hours since we both slept.

Running a hand down my face, I said, "Wanda, I'm sorry, okay? Not only for yelling at you but for everything – for not telling you sooner about your Host, for the way you had to find out tonight. I'm not even going to try to explain myself anymore. What I did was unforgivable and I don't expect you to understand right away."

"Oh, I understand, Ian. More than you'll ever know. I understand that deep down you still have feelings for Andrea. If not, you wouldn't have had to hide all this from me. Deny it all you want, you can never forget someone you once loved. And seeing her face everyday will not make it go away. You see the real me but not when the situation becomes physical. I remember the way you look at me when we're making love. You look at this body with hunger in your eyes. A hunger that intensified with the fact that every testosterone-filled male in this Earth wanted it too and somehow, you emerged the victor."

With tears now streaming from her eyes, she sighed, "You can never love me while I'm still inside her, Ian. I definitely understand that."

I gasped at her words. "Don't you ever say that, Wanda!"

"Don't lie to yourself, Ian. When you attacked Blake for mentioning that article, it just confirmed it all the more. You and I both know you didn't attack him on my behalf. I don't know what 'popping cherries' meant and you knew that too. It wasn't me you were trying to protect. It was for her that you attacked."

"Wanda, I didn't…"

She shook her head and looked away.

After a long awkward silence, she spoke, "I'm really tired, Ian. There's only so much I can take before I crash. Let's just finish this talk tomorrow, please?"

I nodded. My whole body was killing me too; not to mention my knuckles were starting to throb from all the beatings it took in one night. "I'll get the bed ready for you. I'll uh…I can take the couch tonight."

"No, it's okay. You can take the room. I can't stay here tonight. Besides, you need the bed more than I do. I'll just stay in the van. There are enough blankets there to make a bed."

I grabbed her hand before she could take the bag and leave.

"You stay, Wanda. I'll go and bunk with the other guys. And please…I don't have the strength anymore to argue with you about this too."

Before she could protest, I opened the bag to grab a change of clothes and my toothbrush. When I found what I needed, I quickly went out the door and headed towards Aaron and Brandt's room.

As tired as I was, I couldn't even get myself to sleep. The events from last night kept popping up in my head. Wanda and I haven't argued this much ever since her reinsertion. Come to think of it, we haven't held such a long conversation without ripping each other's clothes off within the next five minutes. I guess she was right. Was this relationship purely sexual? I didn't want to think so and yet, it seemed to be that way.

I tossed and turned for the rest of the morning. My arms felt empty without her cradled against my chest. I needed to have her beside me or at least to have her in the room with me – to have her scent envelope me until I drifted into unconsciousness. I missed her and my body already ached with her absence.

Aaron and Brandt's goddawful snoring didn't help either. I didn't know two people could make awful music with it. When it was established that I'd never be able to get some decent sleep, I trudged back to our room. Maybe I can sneak in, catch an hour or two in the couch, and then leave before she wakes up.

With my spare card key, I unlocked the door and peaked in. I stood stock-still when I realized the lights were still on.

Crap. She's probably awake. I'll just tell her I forgot something then I'll leave again. And I was really looking forward to getting some sleep already.

"Wanda?" I called.

There was no answer.

I slowly pushed the door open the rest of the way. Cocking my head inside the room, I called again, "Wanda?"

Still, no answer. I walked over the bathroom to check if she was there. It was empty and untouched.

I glanced around the room and noticed that everything remained undisturbed; our backpack was just where I left it. Slightly panicked, I strode off toward Jared and Mel's room, all the while hoping – praying – she would be there.

The moment I was outside their room, I banged so hard on their door until a very pissed off Jared opened it.

"Cut that out before you wake the other sou…Oh. Ian."

"Jared, please. Tell me she's in your room," I said quickly.

His jaw tensed before moving aside to let me in. I quickly looked around the room only to find Mel huddled on the lounge chair with her arms around her knees. She was lost in her thoughts and didn't even seem to notice me entering the room.

"Mel?"

She bit her lips before burying her face on her knees and started sobbing. I sent a puzzled look at Jared. His features had turned to stone.

"She's not here, Ian. Wanda…left."

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A/N (again): Hope it wasn't too short. I don't like it when they fight. Please review! **

**Oh yeah, anyone preordered the New Moon DVD set yet?**


	12. Easier To Run

**A/N: Thank you so much to the thoughtful ones who took the time to review the last chapters. I really appreciate it. Big hugs go out to you – TeamIanandEdward, SephiX88, xXDreamWriterXx, mayajane, booky-true-false-identity, Psyche101, Lillyymayy, Lady Fingers20 and celticbren.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything about the Host. I'm merely a member of 'The Host Fan Club' on facebook.**

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Wanda POV

Cold air wafted through the car's vent as we rode past plains, valleys, towns and mountains towards the bustling streets of New York. Why New York? I didn't know. All I knew was that I needed to get away – far, far away – from Ian, and what I thought would have been our future together.

Three days ago, I would have never thought that I would be that coward who ran away from her problems.

Three days ago, the only future I ever knew was with him and the people I loved in the caves.

Three days ago, my life – albeit imperfect – was relatively complete.

Now, I sat shivering in the back seat of a nondescript Ford sedan with two men I didn't even know, except by name. Jared would have ostracized me for what I was doing if it had not been him that suggested it. Three days have passed and yet, the morning of the day I left still burned fresh in my mind. It was not easy to forget when all that I knew was a lie – a cover-up for something they didn't want to face themselves. I understood their reasons but none of it mattered in the end. The betrayal, the lies, was too much for one Soul to bear. There was no choice…I had to leave.

- - - - -

The moment Ian left for Aaron and Brandt's room, I quickly – and silently – snuck off toward Mel and Jared's. I tried to contain my emotions from exploding, preventing me from doing what I would have needed to do. It was all I could do to not erupt into a fitful of sobs and curl up in the corner; just wishing this would all go away.

I knew it was too good to last – too good to even be real. As much as I thought Ian was good enough to be a Soul, he was still human – a human completely ruled by his hormones. Human men can never fall in love with a female solely for her personality or her Soul. I've learned that that was ludicrous at best. I was clearly delusional in that aspect.

I knocked softly on their door. Maybe too softly because, after two minutes, no one still answered it. I chastised myself when I realized they must be sleeping already and here I was, intent on disturbing that sleep. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I slowly moved away from their door. This is my problem and I should be a big girl about it and handle it on my own. There was no need to bring others into it. That would be the selfish thing to do and I am definitely not that. I started back to our room when I heard a door, opening.

Through the darkness of their room, Mel called out, "Wanda? Is that you?"

I turned around to face her. The moment she saw the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes, she yanked the door open and rushed to my side. Hugging me like a big sister would, she cradled my head against her shoulder and slowly led me inside their room, settling me on the lounge chair in the corner. "What in blazes happened, Wanda?"

"Ian…I...He..." I couldn't even finish my sentence as I started to feel my lungs constrict and I suddenly found it very hard to breathe.

"Jared, quick! Grab that brown paper bag from the table," Mel yelled.

"Grab wha-?" Jared sat up from the bed, glanced around the room until his gaze fell on the two of us. "Uh, Mel? Wanda?"

"Jared!" Mel shrieked again. "Hurry! Wanda's hyperventilating!"

"Alright. Alright! I'm coming. Sheesh," Jared groaned as he dragged himself from the bed to grab the brown bag that held their dinner from a couple hours ago.

Mel hastily grabbed it from him and practically shoved it into my face. "Here, Wanda. Breathe into it."

With choked breaths, I stared at her with total confusion. How would a paper bag help me right now?

As if understanding my mental distress, she explained, "You need carbon dioxide, sweetie. You're having a panic attack. Just breathe deeply into it to help you calm down. Trust me. It always worked with Jaime."

I looked at the bag an instant before cautiously raising it to my mouth. Okay, I can do this. Deep breaths, Wanda.

"That's it, hun. Your color is coming back," Mel said encouragingly.

"What's going on, Wanda?" Jared finally asked when I was able to breathe normally again – or as normal as it can be at the moment.

Sighing, I looked up at Jared and immediately froze as I took in the sight of him.

Following my gaze, Mel glanced towards him and she almost yelped. "Good golly, Jared. Put on some clothes, will you?" she screeched, while trying vainly to shield my eyes from his manhood.

Jared quickly grabbed his jeans from the floor. "Hey, it's not my fault you told me to hurry up," he called over his shoulder before scampering towards the bathroom.

Mel rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess it's not like you haven't seen him naked in my memories, anyway."

I felt my face flushing crimson as I tried to banish the image from my mind.

After Jared locked the door behind him, Mel took the seat beside me. Facing me, she said, "So Ian finally told you the truth about Andrea." It wasn't a question so much as it was a statement.

I glared at her. "Y-You knew? And yet you never said anything to me? How could you, Melanie! I thought you were my sister!" I started to stand but she held me down.

"I am, Wanda. And it's not like that at all. I wanted so badly to tell you. Honestly, I did. But that wasn't my secret to tell. I figured Ian would when he was ready. Believe me when I say that none of us wanted you to find out the way you did today. You have no idea how hard it has been on Ian especially when he didn't ask for any of this. We needed a Host and we had absolutely no idea who she was when we saw her at the park in Seattle. The only thought that came to mind was that she was perfect. But when we brought her in, you can't imagine how terrified Ian was when she saw her face again. I would have thought he'd forget about you now that she was back. But he never did. All he ever thought and talked about was you, Wanda. Would you believe me if I said I was starting to get sick with all the 'Wanda is so wonderful' conversations we had? No offense, sweetie, but he really is insane over you. But that's neither here nor there at the moment. You're upset that he lied to you – that he neglected to mention the nature of your Host. And I understand that. What would it take for you to understand his side too?"

"I can't see how I can, Mel. This is just way beyond me right now. And to be honest, I can't think straight with Ian being so close. I'm confused, angry and…and...I just don't know what to feel anymore." I said, shaking my head at the same time.

"Look, Ian loves you. That's all you need to know and all that should really matter. It's a sin of omission, true. But he did plan on telling you. What took him forever to do so was his fear of how you were going to react," Mel assured me.

"I don't doubt that Ian loves me," I paused. "But anyone can also love more than one person at the same time. The human heart is more than capable of that. And the fact that it makes me jealous to think that Ian might still love someone else too – albeit unconsciously – scares the living daylights out of me. I'm a Soul! It's not right for our kind to think like that. We shouldn't feel this way and that is what's frightening me. I'm losing myself more and more everyday. If I don't take a step back from all of this, I might lose myself completely and there won't be a way of coming back."

"What are you trying to say?"

I closed my eyes and looked away. "I can't stay, Mel."

"That's bull! And you know it," Mel retorted.

"And where, may I ask, were you planning to go, Wanda? Back to the Souls? You know we can't let you do that," Jared said as he came out of the bathroom, finally decent this time.

"I seriously don't know, Jared. I really just need time to think about all this. And I can't see myself able to do that with Ian around. It's not like I can hide in a storage hole somewhere or in a hidden corner of a dark underground cave anymore while we're out here. I just need distance from him for a while, while I get my emotions in line and figure out what I really should feel about this. And yet, it seems unfair to the people back in the caves to let them wait while I do that. So- no. I have no idea what to do right now. All I know is that I can't stay."

Jared raked his fingers through his hair as he contemplated all this until he finally said, "Hang on. I'll be right back. Don't be going anywhere, Wanda, or be doing something you'd regret. Just give me ten minutes."

Mel eyed him suspiciously before turning to me with a nonchalant look that belied her panic.

My eyes flared. "Oh no, no. No! Please don't go to Ian, Jared. That's the last thing I need right now," I pleaded.

"Never said I was going to Ian," he winked. "Ten minutes – that's all I ask."

I hesitated a moment before sighing a silent, "Alright."

Mel and I didn't talk while we waited for Jared to come back. It gave me time to think of ways to be able to stay away from Ian and at the same time, not stall this raid. But my brain drew a total blank. I didn't see a way to go around this.

The moment we heard the creak of the door opening, I was held speechless by the sight of the two men who came in behind Jared.

It was Nate and the other "native" Soul, Burns.

When Jared saw the puzzled look on both our faces, he immediately explained, "Obviously, we can't just leave you here, Wanda, or let you go scurrying back to the Souls – not that I would think for a moment you'd even consider that. So I thought maybe you might want to stay with another rebel cell for a while – Nate's, specifically. I went to ask him and he was more than happy to take you with them to their hideout."

Burns smiled widely at me but my gaze went from Jared to Nate and back to Jared again. My mouth hung open in shock. Was this for real? Did Jared actually come up with a solution to my predicament?

"But what about our raid? Who'll be the one going into the stores if Wanda isn't with us?" Mel interjected.

Nate was the one who answered her, "That's why you'll be taking Burns with you. You'll be surprised at the stuff this guy can do and get away with." Then looking at me, he said, "Don't worry, Wanda. Jared explained everything to us. Besides, if not for the big mouths of those two idiots I sent home, none of this would have happened. This is much our fault than anything. Taking you in was the least I could offer to make up for it."

"Are you a Soul?" I blurted out before I could stop myself from asking.

He was barely able to hide the way his body automatically cringed at the implication.

"I meant that as a compliment," I smiled wryly at him. "I didn't mean to offend you by saying that. I apologize. It's just that, you didn't have to do this and yet, here you are – offering your home to a complete stranger."

"We're all family in this, Wanda. Our home is always open to humans. And I mean that as a compliment to you, too," he answered back with a smile.

I couldn't help but blush at that.

"But…but...she can't leave us, Jared!" Mel cried out.

"It's only temporary – I hope..." His voice trailed off as he turned to look me in the eyes. "You know you're free to go wherever you want, right? You're not a prisoner in the caves anymore and as much as we prefer to keep everyone there for their own safety, it's ultimately your choice, Wanda. But will you find it in you to eventually come back home to us?"

"I-uh...of course, I'm coming back. Like you said, it's just temporary. I only need a couple weeks to get my thoughts straight." Was that the truth? I wasn't sure yet.

"But who's going to watch over you? Who will protect you when you're far away from us? Jared, we can't let her go with them! Remember what happened the first time Wanda and I stumbled into the caves? She can't protect herself in that body!"

Jared and I cringed at the memory of that fateful day...or the first few weeks, for that matter.

"She'll be fine with us. No one will lay a finger on her under my care, I promise you. Besides, you'd be amazed to know that we deal with Souls on a professional basis every single day. You'll see for yourselves once you come pick her up. Wanda might even reconsider staying there for good," Nate said with a wink in my direction.

"I dunno about this, Jared," Mel said, shaking her head.

I gently placed my hand on her arm to appease her, "I'll be fine, Mel. I think we can trust Nate. And thanks, I'll miss you so much too. This is just something I have to do alone."

"I love you, Wanda. You know that, right? I know you'll be safe; yet, why do I have a bad feeling about all this?"

"You know I love you too, Mel. You're worrying because you're a big sister and that's what big sisters do – they worry," I said with a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, maybe."

"Look, I hate to interrupt you two and miss a potential make out session," Nate started saying but stopped when he heard a growl coming from Jared. "But... we need to leave soon. Rob already has the car started and ready to go. It's a long ride back to New York and Wanda might want to pass by a store for some supplies before we hightail it straight East."

"You're right. Let me just go get my stuff from our room before we leave," But then I paused to think if I really wanted to go back to the room again. If Ian decided to go back there.... "Never mind. You're right; I'll just grab some supplies at a store. I really don't need much, anyway."

Mel eyed me suspiciously but didn't say anything. Instead, she pulled me into a bear hug and held me until I felt her whole body trembling against mine. "God, I'm going to miss you so much, Wanda. I really wish you didn't have to go," she spluttered in between choked sobs.

I patted her back then slowly pulled away from her. "We'll see each other soon, I promise." My voice had broken around the end and I hoped she didn't catch the irresoluteness of that promise.

"How soon?"

"How about we come back for you after the raid, Wanda? We'll hit some of the states on the way there. Nate gave us a great tip on some places to check out. Apparently, they go to Costco and Sam's Club and Burns has a membership card for both. I completely forgot about those wholesale places."

"Membership cards? Why do Souls need membership cards? I thought everything was free in this world now?" Mel asked.

"Oh, you'll understand why when you get to our hideout. I already gave the address to Jared. Remember, just park your van exactly where I told you to and we'll come get you," Nate supplied.

Jared nodded as he wrenched Mel from our hug.

"Hey! Careful, bud, or you're going to be one arm short," Mel growled.

"It's time to let go of Wanda, Mel. She's a big girl and she knows what she's doing. Right, Wanda?"

I nodded. "Take care of each other and Ian, too, okay? Tell him 'Goodbye' for me?" I bit back a sob as I said his name. _I can do this_, I told myself. Ian was better off this way, anyway.

"We'll make sure he doesn't get into trouble, if that's what you mean," Jared said sardonically as he opened the door to let us out.

With one last look back at Mel and Jared, I followed Nate out the door. Hesitating at the threshold of their room, I called to Burns, who was still standing in the middle of their room with his backpack on his shoulders. His face brightened the instant he heard my voice calling out for him. In less than a heartbeat, he stood, grinning, in front of me. "Yes, Wanda?"

I inclined my head towards the hall and asked, "Can I talk to you for a second out here?"

"Sure," he chirped as he followed me out.

I briefly saw Jared's brows furrow before he closed the door after Burns.

When I was sure we were out of earshot from any occupants in the rooms, I turned to face Burns.

"Would your humans know how to do an extraction?"

- - - - -

As I sat in the back seat with the cold air brushing my face, I took the time to mull over Burns' response to that question. It was both highly encouraging and equally daunting at the same time. But my thoughts soon drifted away with the lyrics of a song that resonated through the car's speakers…

_I've been looking in the mirror for so long.  
__That I've come to believe my soul's on the other side.  
__All the little pieces falling, shatter.  
__Shards of me,  
__Too sharp to put back together.  
__Too small to matter,  
__But big enough to cut me into so many little pieces.  
__If I try to touch her,  
__And I bleed,  
__I bleed,  
__And I breathe,  
__I breathe no more. _

_Take a breath and I try to draw from my spirits well.  
__Yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child.  
__Lie to me,  
__Convince me that I've been sick forever.  
__And all of this,  
__Will make sense when I get better.  
__But I know the difference,  
__Between myself and my reflection.  
__I just can't help but to wonder,  
_**_Which of us do you love.  
_**_So I bleed,  
__I bleed,  
__And I breathe,  
__I breathe no...  
__Bleed,  
__I bleed,  
__And I breathe,  
__I breathe,  
__I breathe-  
__I breathe no more._

I closed my eyes and wondered – which of us _do_ you love, Ian?

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A/N (again):

FYI…The song is called "Breathe No More" by Evanescence. I just thought it summed up Wanda's feelings at the moment.

Please review. Seriously, please do. It really means a lot to me every time a 'Review Alert' appears in my inbox. Love it, Hate it, Meh it. Two seconds is all I ask.


	13. Thirteenth Floor

**A/N: Sorry about the wait. Anyway, here I hope to have some answers to questions you might have from the previous chapters. Some, but not all. But that's the good thing about stories, right? There's always that next chapter.**

**Thanks very much to the following for taking your time to write a review: mayajane, bruna black, celticbren, booky-true-false-identity, Peahen, TeamIanandEdward, xXDreamWriterXx, SephiX88, Brandi and tIgErPrN06.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything about the Host. **

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Wanda POV

For a species far behind in technology and civilization – in comparison to other worlds I've lived in – New York City was downright amazing in its own right. And even more amazing was the fact that we were walking casually in the middle of a luxurious hotel lobby in the middle of the day, amidst hundreds of other Souls; with no regard, whatsoever, of being discovered. It wasn't until I was walking behind Nate and Rob did I really notice the faint pink lines on the back of their necks – their "insertion" scars. In the car, Nate had mentioned being more comfortable walking around in daylight among the Souls. At least then, it wouldn't seem off to be wearing sunglasses to hide their eyes. At night, it was harder to get away with that.

Jeb's theory suddenly seemed to ring truer in this form – the best place to hide something was to hide it in plain sight. No one would suspect humans in the city – much less, New York. Seekers would only assume rebels would hide far away in remotes areas, and not in cities long since assimilated by the Souls. To them, only crazy humans would attempt to risk it.

And maybe the Souls were right – Nate and his people are probably crazy. But from what I recall from Melanie's memories, Jared did mention it was the crazy people who survived the invasion. Apparently, there was more truth to that than it seemed. Ironically, that was exactly how the Souls had also taken over this planet.

Looking around the Main Lobby, I was undeniably overwhelmed by its absolute splendor. Elegant seating areas complemented by gold-veined onyx marble columns, potted palms, dark wood accents and dim lighting all reminded me of the same beauty that the crystal cities on the Mists planet all held. And in the center was an ornate bronze clock with carved faces of – I assumed – very influential humans.

And for some reason, I was ostensibly reminded of something else – something overwhelmingly familiar. And it wasn't what they called 'déjà vu' either.

That's when they hit me. Waves and waves of memories suddenly flooded me from this Host's mind – childhood memories that seem to be centered on this place.

- - - - -

_A man in a weird monkey suit was chasing me. Christopher Ely was his name. He was chasing me yet I was feeling rather giddy._

"_Miss Andrea, please. Your mother will be here shortly and all we've managed is to annoy the other guests," he said, exasperated._

_After much giggling, I called out in a low voice from behind a large marble and mahogany clock, "Miss Andrea has left the building. This is Andrew and I wish for you to go back and…and do whatever it is you do." I couldn't help but giggle again into my tiny white lace gloves._

_Ely sighed. "If you say so, _Mister Andrew," _he said, acerbically accentuating the last part. "I will inform mi' Lady that you have allowed your sister to run amuck in the streets of New York." Starting to walk away, he added, "If that's all you wish of me, I will now retire to my quarters to a nice cup of English Tea that has my name on it."_

"_Ely, wait!" I squeaked as I moved away from the beautiful clock to look up at him. _

_He had an eyebrow cocked up as he turned around to glance at me. His face was stoic but for a moment, I thought I saw a slight glint of humor in those hazel eyes of his. "Miss Andrea? For a while there, I was convinced it was Mister Andrew behind the clock." _

"_Oh, Ely. You knew it was me all along."_

"_Now why would you think that? You had me entirely convinced otherwise."_

_I shot him a smirk that clearly said 'Yeah, right'. He feigned an innocent smile, adding, "You should think about becoming an actress. You can easily fool people with that acting of yours."_

_I blew him a raspberry before making my way to his side. _

"_Now, now, miss. That is very unbecoming of a young lady of your stature."_

"_Ptoey! I saw Andrew do it and he didn't get as much as a 'tsk' from momma when he did it."_

"_Well, now. Mister Andrew isn't a lady."_

_I rolled my eyes at him and took his outstretched hand as he led me towards the elevators._

- - - - -

The ornate clock. Andrew. This Hotel Lobby.

Oh my. Was this-

_Home._

I paused as I heard that same voice in my head again. I vehemently shook my head to clear the thought. But unlike before when it was merely a passing occurrence, this time there was a lingering – but still faint – awareness. I couldn't help but gasp out loud.

"Wanda? You okay?" Nate softly asked from beside me. I didn't even notice his hand on my shoulder when I broke from my musing and glanced up at him. Even through his dark sunglasses, I could tell he had a worried expression on his face that matched the one Rob had on too.

"I-uh. It's nothing," I lied. "I was simply overwhelmed by all of this, I guess. The hotel, us - walking among Souls, leaving my friends…basically, all of it."

He grinned. "Pretty amazing, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. But why are we here?" Then lowering my voice so only the three of us can hear, "Shouldn't we be taking shelter at a less inconspicuous motel than here in a luxurious hotel in the middle of New York City? What if we get discovered? Isn't this too much of a risk? Can't we go straight to your hideout already?"

His grin turned wider. "We are here already."

Shock claimed me for a good solid minute. I gaped at them as if waiting for them to say, 'We're kidding' and return the rug they just pulled from under me. But they didn't. Instead, Nate inclined his head towards the back of the lobby and whispered, "I'll explain when we get to the elevators."

I nodded and quietly followed the two of them. Luckily, we were able to get an elevator to ourselves. Rob inserted a key card into a slot and pressed the topmost button labeled 'PH'.

As soon as the doors closed, Nate turned to me and started explaining, "Story short, there's a secret elevator from the Penthouse that leads to some sort of 'panic room' that's really a whole hidden floor in this building. The family that owned this hotel were very secretive and apparently, slightly paranoid too. When guests refused to stay on the thirteenth floor, they had it 'erased' from the building's blueprint and they turned into a secret bunk of some sort. Only a handful of people knew about it and last I checked, all of them have already given way to three generations of grandchildren."

I immediately noticed the absence of the number thirteen on the elevator panel. Puzzled, I asked, "But how about the Penthouse? Wouldn't the Souls be wondering who's occupying it? Wouldn't they have checked it to make sure there were no more humans on it?"

"They checked it, alright. They even found the floor, too. When they didn't find anything after their search, they decided to close off the whole Penthouse right away, thinking it was too extravagant for any Soul to occupy anyway. Too wasteful, as they would say. They've actually transformed all the rooms here into economical apartments and stripped away everything they deemed too lavish. They kept the Main Lobby as it is though; maybe because it was already there and it would be even more wasteful if they had to destroy something so beautiful."

"But back to the Penthouse – the secret elevator is actually behind a huge bookcase in the Master's bedroom. And to get inside it, you need to enter a pass code. We were able to hack it and change the combination just in case a Seeker got too curious and comes snooping around. We haven't had that problem so far. Let's just say, we have our way to dealing with them too," he said with a wink.

I gulped, as I took in the meaning of his statement.

Noticing my sudden discomfort, he hastily clarified, "Oh no, no, no. It's not like that." He paused to look at Rob who was arching a brow at him. "Okay, it's not _entirely_ like that. You see, we've come across a lot of empathetic Souls here."

"_Empathetic_ souls?"

"Or Souls gone native – as Burns aptly calls himself. You'd be surprised to know that there are a lot of you who don't necessarily share the same views with this whole invasion. Most of them actually belonged to the first wave; those who were able to witness true humanity. They're the ones who were here during Katrina and saw for themselves the capacity for human kindness. They realized it was extremely wrong to erase those who – according to them – were as good as Souls. If they did, they would be no better than the riffraff they were trying to eradicate. Like they say, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' Those unfortunate ones, however, who were caught by Seekers trying to defend the humans, were immediately shipped out to other planets. And that's why they have gone into hiding too like us. How we all found each other is another story on its own. Someday I might tell you about it too."

"That's...that's just simply- wow! I can't believe something like that is possible at all. And here we were, thinking I was the only one who turned traitor." I said, shaking my head at our naivety.

"So you guys never heard of such things before? Seriously? Have you been living under a rock all this time?" Rob scoffed.

I jumped slightly when I heard Nate whack him on the back of the head.

"Ow! What the f-" Rob paused as he realized what he just said before he got his senses knocked into him. "Oh. Sorry about the bad pun. Didn't mean it that way," he apologized.

Smiling sheepishly at him, I replied, "Don't worry about it. It's true though. We have been living under a rock all this time."

"Well, now you know. There really is hope still in the world," Nate smiled.

"I guess so. But I do wonder how all of you manage to keep it from the rest of the Souls and be able to blend in so seamlessly."

"It is without great effort on both sides. We, humans, mostly stay in the background doing surveillance and such while the Native Souls are the ones who work the forefront. Unbeknownst to anyone, all of the hotel staff you saw in the Main Lobby are actually part of the resistance. We protect each other that way. And sometimes, some of us go around searching for other rebel cells. That's how we came across your lot."

"There are others out there?"

"Yup. Three others we've found so far," Nate supplied.

Before he could further expound about the other cells, our elevator bell chimed, signaling that we have reached our destination. Just as Nate described, the Penthouse was deserted. The whole place remained spotless but you could tell it hasn't been occupied at all in years. But what really caught my attention was the pure magnificence of the entire space – a space that could clearly fit two decent-sized single-family homes. And that was just the living room.

For a fleeting moment, my thoughts went back to Ian and to the rest of my family; thinking how they would have loved to see all this. Everyone in the caves deserved more than what life has reduced them to. Once again, my heart ached to know that their suffering was because of our preconceived notion of them being better off erased.

But how could a species that are thought to be extremely violent be capable to creating so much beauty? Right there we should have realized that humanity was not totally lost, that there is enough good in them still worth saving.

One day- I promised myself- I will find a way to give it all back to them. Or at the very least, a small taste of it. Then again, maybe that would be crueler to tease them with something that they can no longer enjoy.

Nate and Rob walked ahead of me and went straight to the Master's bedroom. As soon as they opened the French doors, a man's voice called out to them from beside a huge exquisitely carved antique bookcase. I paused in my tracks and instinctively slid behind Nate, whose muscular build could easily conceal me from this stranger's view.

"Nate? What the hell took you guys so long?"

"Hey, 'supp boss? Yeah, we missed you loads, too! That's mighty touching of you to be worried about us," Rob mocked.

"Cut the crap, dickwad. I could care less where you two have been but your wives almost had heart attacks when three of you didn't show up with the others."

Rob snorted. "Real smooth, jackass. You very well know I don't have a wife."

I barely saw the man shrug nonchalantly. "Huh. Then I guess someone better tell Babe before she starts squealing along the halls that you said that."

Rob stuck out his middle finger at him. I assumed that gesture was meant to be funny because it made the other human laugh uncontrollably. I've seen Kyle and Ian exchange the same signal before and, more often than not, it would be succeeded by laughter from whomever it was directed to.

Chuckling, Nate glanced over his shoulder at me, "In case you're wondering, Babe is our pet 'potbelly pig'."

"Oh," I giggled.

Hearing my voice, the stranger craned his neck to get a better look at me. "Who you got there, Nate?"

His big gray eyes went wide with shock the moment our gazes locked. I would have groaned 'Not again' if not for the strange feeling that I somehow knew this man in front of me. But for the life of me, I couldn't put a name to his face.

It was the voice in the back of my head that supplied the name.

"Andrew?" I asked, my voice only a whisper.

Before Nate and Rob could react, Andrew pulled me up into a crushing hug that took the breath out of me.

- - - - -

**Ian POV**

**id·i·ot: **(ˈi-dē-ət) from Latin idiota ignorant person, ignorant person

1: (usually offensive) a person affected with extreme mental retardation

2: a foolish or stupid person

3: Ian O'Shea

Yeah, that was it. I'm a complete and total idiot. That was the only explanation I could come up with in regards to me walking out of that motel room. I should have known better than to leave Wanda in the room just so we could take a breather. My gut instinct already told me not to. But no…I didn't listen. Why? Because I was an idiot.

I love her. That was all that mattered. All that should have mattered. I could care less about the body. Could even care less that it was my ex-girlfriend. So why did I let her go? I should have dragged everyone into the van and hightailed after them. Damn Jared held me back.

So I may have acted like a two year-old on a temper tantrum. But deep down, I knew he was right. The raid had to come first. Besides, I needed to cool down before facing Wanda again anyway. I definitely did not handle it properly the way I explained it all to her. It all just blew up in our faces and my short fuse was not helping any.

Mel told me, 'time will heal.' Well, time also sucks. Especially when you're stuck in the back of a stuffy van with two other people right smack in the middle of a crowded parking lot.

It has been three hours since Burns went inside Costco. What the heck was taking him so goddamn long? He's even worse than my mother whenever she went into one of her shopping modes. I glanced again at the dashboard clock. Three hours and twenty-three minutes, to be exact, and still no sign of the redhead anywhere.

I didn't even know why time mattered or why I was so fidgety. It wasn't like we had anywhere to go. Wanda usually only took thirty minutes at any given store. And to think- she's female! She knew the rest of us would start getting antsy if we stayed too long at a single location.

Fear and panic suddenly shot through me. What if this Burns character was actually an undercover Seeker and he's gone to alert the Souls already? Maybe they were just waiting for reinforcements before moving to take us in? It wasn't like we could put up much of a fight anyway. We were already surrounded as it was. I looked around me to check how everyone else was faring. They seemed relaxed enough. Jared and Mel looked like they were casually chilling on a couch in front of a TV. What was I missing? I just hope Aaron and Brandt were doing fine in the moving truck beside us.

Not able to stand it any longer, I blurted, "Shouldn't we be worried already?"

"What for?" Jared asked.

Giving him a 'duh' look, I said, "The redhead. Where the hell is he? He should have been done three hours ago."

"We're in Costco, Ian. If you've been to one before, you would know it'd take more than thirty minutes to get around the whole warehouse. Unless of course, you're an Olympic sprinter with only a single item on your list," he quipped.

"Of course I've been to one. It's just that I never noticed it took my parents this long when they went grocery. They would simply leave Kyle and me by the café with our Gameboys. We'd barely be through a level and before we knew it, they'd be calling us to help load the carts already."

"You two must suck real bad in videogames that it takes you three hours to get through a level. What? Was Bowser just too much for Mario or was it the little mushrooms that kept kicking your asses?"

Had my knees not been stiff from sitting in one position for so long, I would have given him a taste of my knuckle sandwich. As it was, I could only manage to flip him off.

"Real classy, Ian. Wonder what Wanda would say if you showed that much love right now," Mel said, shaking her head at me.

"That's kind of a moot point since I won't be so callous as to have her witness it."

"Too late for that. I'm sure she's seen you and Kyle exchange endearing signs like that a handful of times already."

"Yeah, well, I doubt she knows what it means anyway."

"You have a point there. Knowing her, she must think that's the universal hand signal for love. But who knows, right? We keep thinking she's this naive person yet she's actually way older than dirt and have seen more of this universe than anyone else."

I didn't know what to reply to that. There's so much more to Wanda than what any of us can comprehend. And every little tidbit we learn about her makes me fall more and more in love with her. Like that's even possible since I've already gone way past that. The only problem is when she will come to realize that too.

I glanced at the clock again. Only five minutes have passed. Damn.

"Jared, can I ask you a question?"

"It's a free country. _Which_ also means I'm free not to answer you."

I let out a snort. "Tell me again why we're risking our necks – with all pun intended – to shop at such a crowded place anyway?

"Haven't you ever heard of one-stop shops before?" he asked.

"Yeah, but Costco is hardly a 7/11, y'know."

"Think larger, Ian. With Burns' membership here, we don't even need to hit any other store anymore."

"Membership? Thought there was no such thing as exclusivity among Souls."

"It's not really about exclusivity but more so, for convenience. If you own a business, you're automatically granted a membership here. Rather than having to deal with countless suppliers, they centralized everything so now they only have to get it from these warehouse places," he explained.

"Yeah, but why the membership? If everything is free, can't they just go in there and order a truckload of whatever they need?"

"Technically, we can," Burns suddenly said as he opened the driver's side door and set himself in. "But that's why we have the membership. The cards contain our business data, including all the items we need to run our business. So instead of having to come here to get truckloads of stuff we always need, it gets delivered straight to us. We come here for stuff we don't need truckloads of."

A wave of relief washed through me as I saw the redhead's…um – red head. "Sounds complex. So what you're saying is that you guys own a business?" I asked, moving to stretch my legs.

"They run a hotel, to be more precise," Jared supplied as he and Mel also started getting up.

"You mean 'motel' right? That's suicide trying to get away with running such a huge business like that and not get discovered."

Burns returned my skepticism with an equally droll look, "I'd hardly consider The Waldorf-Astoria a motel, Ian. Not by a long shot."

"The what?" I asked, shocked at the revelation.

"Doesn't look like he stuttered, Ian," Mel scoffed.

"Jeez. That's something I'd like to see for myself."

"That's what I said too," Jared concurred. "I asked Nate about his hideout before even suggesting that Wanda went with them. I wanted to make sure she'd be safe."

Scratching the back of my head, I said, "Yeah. About that- I guess I should be thankful for your quick thinking. Not that I'm ecstatic with your solution but I guess it's for the best. I really messed up big time and I wish there was a way to take it all back."

"Yeah, well…stop being an idiot next time."

Right. I wonder if he heard my inner monologue when I was calling myself that.

Just when I grabbed the handle to open the back doors of the van, Burns stopped me. "Don't open the doors just yet."

I shot him a quizzical look when he threw a small black box at me. He also threw one each to Jared and Mel who gave him the same curious glares.

"Sunglasses. Heavily-tinted Oakleys – my personal favorite. Just so the other Souls can't see the absence of silver on your eyes. Put those on, act like an angel and you'll blend in perfectly. Good thing you all have 'insertion' scars already. I've already given one each to the other guys in the truck. They've already started loading some of the stuff."

"Sweet! I've always wanted Oakleys!" Jared beamed.

Mel frowned, "I was hoping for oversized Chanel or Gucci ones."

Jared elbowed her…gently.

"What?"

I just rolled my eyes at her. Women.

My heart leapt up when I opened my box to reveal the shiny jet-black frame and matching black iridium polarized lenses inside. What a thing of beauty! If I didn't know any better, I would have thought this was alien technology. I couldn't help but sigh deeply as I took the magnificent piece of handiwork from the box and put it on.

"With those on, one might think you look like a better-looking Tom Cruise on Mission Impossible," Mel quipped.

"Tom Cruise, he's not. Impossible Mission, this is," Jared said with his Yoda-ish impression as he, not so gently this time, nudged her again – which Mel easily returned with a hard smack to the back of his head.

"Um…thanks. I guess," I said sheepishly, moving towards the doors. Before I could open them all the way through, I paused to look back at Jared. "By the way, since we don't need to hit any other stores anymore, shouldn't we head straight to New York to get Wanda?"

It was Mel who answered, "Wanda needs more time, Ian. And although Burns could have gotten everything from one store, I doubt he was able to push more than one overstuffed cart by himself – much less, two of them. Besides, I'm sure Burns still has a lot up his sleeves to teach us about surviving and blending in."

"Yup. I just hope your acting skills are as good as your disguises now," the redhead said with a hopeful grin.

"If that's the case, I might have to trade in my horns and fangs for a halo and some angel wings. And seeing as there are no more Halloween stores around, I think I'll just stay in the shadows like a vampire who's not only allergic to sunlight, but to people, as well," I retorted.

"Don't forget the tail. Unless, of course, you just plan on sticking that up somewhere," Mel scoffed.

"Like up yours?" I suggested.

"Ha ha. Real funny, O'Shea. Now get your ass out of the van so we can be more useless than a bunch of Ray-Ban models in Pluto," she said, pushing me off the van.

Chuckling, the rest of us slid off to help load the two overstuffed flatbed carts into the moving truck and van.

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A/N (again): Once again, please review. If you have questions regarding this story or if you need anything clarified, don't hesitate to speak up. :D

**Oh yeah…I see I've got readers from my home country. Mabuhay! And with the famous words from APL of the Black Eyed Peas- "Salamat sa inyong pagsusuporta!" Did I say that right?**


	14. Oh, Brother

**A/N: What happens when a writer loses the memory stick that contained her partially finished chapter update for her story? Yeah, you get the update one month later due to her frustration of having to rewrite everything. So, so sorry about that. I'll try harder to update more regularly next time.**

**To xXDreamWriterXx, this chapter is for you! I'm so glad you took the plunge into FF so your awesome reviews won't be 'silent' anymore. :)**

**And once again, many thanks to the following for continually sending your wonderful reviews my way: booky-true-false-identity, SephiX88, stephgirl123, oohapoo, Brandi, mayajane and Lady Fingers20. Thanks, also, for those of you who put this story on your Favorites List and Story Alert.**

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Wanda POV

Andrew sat on an art deco chair in front of me, looking at the body of his sister he thought was lost years ago. The two of them looked so much alike that it was unbelievable no one noticed it before – not even Blake or Tom. They both had the same mop of golden blonde hair, pale skin with a silver sheen to it, and big, gray eyes that glowed with the incredulity of this moment. But as similar as they both looked, their similarities ended past their necks. While she was a perfect replica of cherub beauty - angelic, petite and fragile - her twin brother was tall, scrawny and held an edge to him that whispered of a young man who was forced to grow up too fast. Power and authority emanated from him that it was hard not to shy away from his gaze.

I could tell he was trying to pull himself together but the pain behind those gray eyes cannot be masked, nor could the furrow of his brows hide his need to get some answers. If only he knew what the questions were, to begin with.

He settled for the simplest one, which was the easiest to be answered; yet, at the same time, the hardest for me to impart. Only because I knew my ignorance of the subject would not make things any better for him.

"Do you know what happened to her?"

I shook my head. "I honestly don't know. I didn't even know who she was up until a couple days ago, when Nate and his group stumbled upon our cache."

"I see," he said, his voice was merely a whisper. Hesitantly, he asked, "Can she hear me now?"

Scared for my life among these strangers, and possibly for hers as well, I debated whether to tell him the truth or not and simply hope they wouldn't catch the lie as the other humans in the caves easily could.

When I asked Burns about his humans' knowledge of extractions, it was all out of a whim. Maybe something deep inside me had wondered about it but my consciousness really didn't know why. Perhaps I had already known all along what I had to do but my heart was simply clouding the truth. Knowing they do extractions on a regular basis was astounding. As the Souls did to the humans, they were in turn, returning the favor - one extraction at a time. Surprisingly, these humans cared enough to treat the extracted Souls as fellow sentient beings; secretly returning them to far away planets as we did to my Seeker. Which made me bade to question, why did the Souls think we were better off running this place than they were?

In the end, I decided the truth would be best. Andrew has already been dealt too much in his life; one more lie would probably break him.

"I'm not entirely sure if she can. I mean, I sense her sometimes. She even spoke a word or two but never so much as lingered for more than a heartbeat. It was like...," I hesitated, not wanting to fully disclose the catalyst for her emergences, "...like, _something_ keeps pulling her to the surface. But instead of staying, she withdraws herself. I know now she's there. That, I can't deny. But as to how conscious she is, I can't be certain. It's not the same as with Mel. Even from the start, she made her intentions clear that she refused to fade away."

"Mel? Who's Mel?"

"My previous host. It's uh....a long story."

Before Andrew could ask any more about her, Nate interrupted. "Is it just me or is there something seriously off with this picture?"

Andrew pinned him with a scorching glare that I was surprised he didn't burn a hole right through him. Clearly, he was annoyed at Nate's incredulity of asking a question with such an obvious answer.

Ignoring him, Nate turned to me and asked, "Cousins?"

"Twins," Andrew and I both said at the same time.

"Ah, hell! Now how did that happen? What are the odds of that?" Nate exclaimed.

I thought he meant it to be a rhetorical question but Andrew answered him anyway. "The odds are second to none. I still believe in God and apparently, this was his way of answering prayers. I should have been more specific with my request."

"Well, apparently, we both don't pray to the same God. Mine wouldn't be so callous. So whoever your god is, he sure has a wicked sense of humor," Nate said sarcastically.

Rob interjected, "You sure it wasn't to the blue genie in the bottle that you made your wish to? Have you used up all your wishes yet or did you waste them all on blowup dolls in an effort to get yourself," – he raised two fingers in each hand to form air quotes - "laid?"

Andrew ground his teeth before he shot back, "Obviously it wasn't a genie or else he would have granted my wish of making you disappear from my life."

"Oh, you know you'd miss me."

Andrew scoffed, "Like I miss having chicken pox. And just the same, you're both annoying and leave me with unwanted reminders of your existence. Trust me, I can definitely live without either."

"Ouch. Careful, Drew, or you might actually hurt my feelings."

"You don't have feelings, Rob. That bus dropped you on your ass a long time ago."

Nate interrupted their repartee, "Now, now, children. Enough with the bantering. We have a guest here, remember? Or did both of you suddenly develop a severe case of amnesia? Dementia, I can understand. It's obviously a given."

Not wanting to return the discussion back to me, I quickly held my hands up and leaned as far back into the couch as I possibly could. "Oh, don't worry about me. I actually enjoy listening to your bantering. It somehow reminds me of a certain set of brothers back in our caves."

"They must love each other a lot too, no?" Nate asked.

"Yup, just like they love chicken pox." Then realizing I have no idea what that was, I asked sheepishly, "Um…that is some sort of home-cooked dish, right?"

Rob chuckled. "I like you. You've got a better sense of humor than some people around here that tend to walk with a stick up their asses. Can we keep her, Drew?" Then turning to me, he added, "And no, Wanda. Chicken pox is a very itchy and infuriating disease that leaves you with scab marks all over the place. Much like our friend, Andrew, here."

Disregarding the latter comment, Andrew shook his head and said, "That's not for us to decide or to even think about, Rob. We can't just decide to keep Wanda."

I didn't miss the hopeful look in his eyes before he let out a deep sigh and moved to get up from his seat. "We should start making our way to the hideout. It's getting dark soon and we definitely don't want any of the other Souls wondering why the lights are on in a Penthouse that's supposed to be closed down."

Without a word, the three of us stood up and followed him towards the side of the bookcase where a dark entrance of the secret elevator was partially visible. Andrew nudged the bookcase open to let us through. Nate and I were just crossing the threshold when we heard a loud thud behind us. Startled, we immediately turned around to check the source of the sound, only to find a very angry Rob cupping the back of his head, and Andrew, whose mouth was curled up on one side, smirking.

"Son of a-," Rob cursed, his nostrils flared. "What the fuck was that for?"

"For existing," Andrew merely said.

"Why would you do that?" Nate scolded him as Rob practically stuck his tongue out at him like a petulant child. "Look, he was born with only a handful of brain cells to his name. You probably just killed what little he's ever had." he added, laughing.

"Oh, you are just the comedian, Nathaniel." Glaring back at Andrew, he said, "I swear, Waldorf, if you weren't my boss, I'd..." He held his fist up into a taunting grip in front of him. "Even if it means haunting you from my grave to do it."

Completely ignoring Rob's insubstantial threats, Nate cocked his head to the side as if he suddenly remembered something. "Waldorf...hmmm. Didn't Blake say her last name was 'Kempner'?" he asked around, referring to Andrea.

Rob blinked. "Come to think of it, how is it that the two of you have different last names? Separated at birth, maybe? Oh, wait. She's married, isn't she?"

I stiffened.

For a while, Andrew remained silent - probably deliberating between saying the truth and saying some smart comment about minding our own business. Unfortunately, since it also pertained to this body, he realized it became a part of my business too.

"Well?" Nate prompted.

He glanced between the three of us. "Kempner _is_ our last name. Waldorf was our mother's. I dropped the name just before the invasion," was all he said.

From his tone, I knew there was more to that than he's letting on. I opened my mouth to urge him to continue but my mind told me to shut it and drop the subject. For now. Maybe when we could talk privately, he would tell me more about her.

Nate shrugged, "I guess that's why I never made the connection between the two of you. I just assumed you didn't know each other. That is, until I saw the two of you together."

"Yeah. Well, you know what they say about those who assume..."

Not waiting for anyone to squeeze in a proper comeback, Andrew shoved Rob into the elevator, pulled a gadget from his pocket – something that looked much like a garage door opener with two buttons – and clicked the leftmost one. The moment he did, the elevator doors closed and I felt the slight pull of gravity as we descended to the thirteenth floor.

When the doors finally opened, the site of the "hidden floor" surprised me. Whatever I expected the place to look like, it certainly was not this. There were no computer monitors covering each wall, as I envisioned, or any hints of it being a typical hideout. It was what it was – a normal looking hotel floor, complete with numbered rooms, three long hallways that stretched out to different directions, and even a huge fake floral arrangement on top of a marble console table right smack dab in the middle. The only thing missing was the lack of windows at the end of each hallway. And people.

"It's a façade. Not exactly what you were expecting, huh?" Andrew said, noting the confusion on my face. When I didn't comment, he continued, "The entrance to the hideout is through the bedroom closet of Room 1313. Just in case the Souls somehow managed to reach all the way here, we didn't want to make it easy for them to find us. Every time the elevator gets activated, it sets off an alarm for everyone to get out of the entrance hallway. It's a precaution we all have to observe."

Nate clapped his hands together and turned to me. "I know I promised Jared never to leave your side but you can trust bossman here to keep you safe. I have to check in on the wifey first before she thinks I've traded her for another woman. I'll catch up with you in a few." He inclined his head to me before going down the west corridor.

Rob remained where he was even though I could sense Andrew wished the boy had followed after the older man.

"Don't you have things to do, Rob? Like annoy some other poor soul? I heard there's a soiled bed with your name on it. Matter of fact, I think it was yours."

Without missing a beat, Rob shot back, "What? You been sleeping in my bed again while we were out? Haven't you ever heard of Depends, boss?"

"Make yourself scarce, Rob. Or simply - get lost! And if you find my sanity somewhere, tell it that it's safe to come back now."

With a mock salute, he said, "Will do, boss. I'll probably find it hanging out with your sense of humor."

"Out!"

"Gone," Rob snickered over his shoulder as he went down the opposite corridor Nate disappeared to.

When he was sure he was out of earshot, Andrew turned to me and said, "Please don't mind him. He's been abducted and probed by aliens too many times to count that sometimes we wonder if he wasn't raised by a pack of mules. But on the upside, at least we all know he's still human."

I chuckled at his dry sense of humor.

He led us down the north corridor towards Room 1313. Outside the door, Andrew used two sets of keys and a key card to unlock the door. But instead of heading for the bedroom which led to the hideout, he went straight for the kitchen, not breaking pace towards the large pantry. He held its doors open and gestured for me to walk through, what I assumed, was another secret chamber.

I hesitated by the sink, unsure whether I should follow or bolt for the elevator. Though Nate trusted Andrew not to lay a finger on me, I couldn't help but be wary. I didn't doubt for one moment that he wouldn't do to me what Jared wanted to do to get Melanie back.

He studied me carefully before he dropped his hold of the door and walked timidly towards me. With a comforting touch, he stroked both my forearms. Something inside of me shattered from the tenderness of his touch and the sincerity of his gaze. Clearly, he didn't want to mean any harm.

"Wanda, I know you're scared. But I promise we won't hurt you. No one here ever will. Consider this a Sanctuary for both humans and rebel Souls alike. I made everyone here take an oath to respect the sanctity of such a place. No Soul who seeks shelter here will ever be extracted without their full consent."

Before I could stop myself, I asked, "So why didn't you keep the Kempner name?"

He took a step back before answering, "Not knowing if you...I mean, Andrea, was still alive, I made sure to hide all inkling of a family the Souls can trace back to. If the Souls ever caught me, I didn't want them going after her."

"What happened to your parents?"

His features darkened a second before he replied, "They died in Paris, about four years ago, trying to get away from Seekers. Like me, they buried all indication they ever had family. Even went to such extremes of erasing their fingerprints – on file and physically, if you know what I mean."

I was suddenly reminded of Mel and how she accidentally burned the fingertips off her right hand from grabbing a pan she stupidly thought had already cooled down. As much as she cursed that day from the pain of the burn, it was actually a blessing in disguise. The Souls were unable to find her in the system.

"As powerful as they were in society," he continued, "it was easy for them to do such a thing. They shielded us from the general public as much as they could. When news of Andrea started popping up all over the tabloids, I knew something had gone wrong with them. They wouldn't have allowed such demeaning articles of their children to circulate, preferring to pay off the tabloids before anyone got a whiff of their lies. And I was right. Our parents literally disappeared from the face of the earth – no phone calls, emails, not even a note from a carrier pigeon to let me know they were okay."

"It took me a while to understand. Up until the time they forced a bullet through their temporal lobes, they were still trying to protect us. My sources told me they had been hunted down by Seekers. Sending any type of communication would have been disastrous and would have redirected their attention to us. The Seekers were merciless in their pursuit. For some reason, they wanted control of Waldorf. It would have been a prime location for insertions – rich businessmen, influential people – a place with a very illustrious clientele. Good thing I got to it first before they could sink their claws deeper into it. It was tough but I managed to give them the impression that they have succeeded in taking over the Hotel."

That explained one thing. But there was something more pressing I needed answered. I knew it would seem like prying but curiosity got the better of me and I couldn't help but ask.

"Why didn't you look for her the moment you knew about the invasion?"

A tic worked in his jaw before he answered, "Trust me, it wasn't from the lack of trying. Had I known she never went to Germany that summer, as she said she would,..."

I briefly saw a glimpse of the cabin Ian mentioned at the motel before Andrea quickly pulled the image from my mind. I understood then that that was where she had gone to instead. Everything was starting to make sense. Ian was her little secret she had no intention of anyone finding out about.

Andrew continued despite my sudden change in demeanor.

"...it wouldn't have made it impossible for me to track her down. Her cell phone was out of service and none of her friends knew where she was. Even her best friend, Nina, wasn't any help either. Two years of searching for Drea and I still came up with nothing. It was like she, too, dropped off from the face of the earth. Until I came here, I never stopped searching, never stopped caring about where she was. When the gang came back a few days ago, they were talking animatedly about this celebrity they met. I automatically tuned them out the instant they said 'celebrity'. _Fuck it! _I should have paid better attention."

I maintained my distance despite this deep longing I had to reach out and comfort him. It transcended even beyond a Soul's general nature to soothe those who were feeling down. This ache was coming from her. She wanted to hold her brother. I held back knowing full well the outcome of such an unwarranted outburst. But I wanted to do something for him. Anything. Trusting my gut, I did what I hoped I wouldn't later regret. Or at the very least, I hoped it was the right thing to do.

"What if I told you she heard everything you just said?" And without bothering to ask for her consent, I added, "And what if I told you she wants to come home too?" I had a sense of déjà-vu as I recalled saying almost the same statement to Jeb during the tribunal.

Andrew stood frozen in place, eyes wide in shock as he took that in. "What are you saying, Wanda?"

I understood the turmoil that began brewing behind those gray eyes. He and Nate promised no one would ever touch me here. But on the one hand, this was about his sister and it was hard for him to not ask about getting her back. I knew I had to take that decision away from him.

"She's conscious enough that I know she'll come back the moment you extract me from her."

He gasped. "Wanda, I can't ask that of you."

"Yes, you can, Andrew. And you would too, had you not taken the oath of Sanctuary yourself – to not extract Souls who have taken refuge here."

I paused, thinking hard about what I was giving up. This was what I had known deep inside, what I had to do all along. But through all this, there was only one thing I definitely wouldn't be willing to let go. My thoughts drifted to a pair of bright, sapphire eyes – of ink and snow. There was no way I was going to let him go through this again.

And with my first act of selfishness, I said, "I do have a single request."

Without hesitation, he immediately said, "For my sister, I would give you anything."

"Would you grant me another host?"

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A/N (again): Next up, Ian's POV of their time apart.

**Please, please grant me the two seconds it takes to write a simple, 'love it', 'hate it', or even a simple 'please update soon'. ;D**

**Oh yeah, anyone getting the paperback version of The Host with the additional chapter in between 58 and 59?? I know I am. **


	15. Chosen

**A/N: Okay…so maybe I lied. I said it was going to be Ian's POV now but decided to stay with Wanda for the mean time. I guess there's still much that needs to be explained on her side. But don't worry, I'm almost done with the next chapter so hopefully I can post it by next week.**

**Thank you sooo much to the following people who have taken a few moments of their precious time to write a review: Ponypal95, mizDevine, xXDreamWriterXx, loveofreading4ever, stephgirl123, hotchadobsessed, oohapoo, gumdrop, TeamIanandEdward, Cherry Tulips xD (thanks for all 5! w00t!), Lady Fingers20, SephiX88, hannahkathleen23, mayajane and booky-true-false-identity. **

**Disclaimer: SM owns the Host. But I will soon own the paperback copy of this story that has the additional chapter on it.**

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**Wanda POV**

Andrea was pretty much quiet at the start. She stirred frequently but refused to acknowledge my existence whenever I tried to reach out to her. Her words were always in reaction to something around us but were never directed to me. In essence, I was basically ignored.

Her mind constantly flipped through our memories – scanning through mine and remembering bits and pieces of hers. Sometimes, she switched so fast between the two that it made her confused as to which ones belonged to her.

She loved lingering on her happy memories. Especially the ones with Andrew. During one of her musings, I saw glimpses of her pampered childhood, some rare moments they spent with their parents, the Hotel they called Home. What little she remembered of Ian had surprisingly hurt me when I knew I didn't have a right to be.

Their meetings had started out innocent enough. They went to the movies and ate at hole-in-the-wall types of establishments. And oftentimes, they took strolls down the beach. Public places where celebrities could remain anonymous and people were ambiguous to her heritage. From a distance, they appeared like the typical dating teenagers. If it hadn't included my Ian in the picture, I would have considered them a very cute couple.

Though Andrea was pretty naive about sexual relationships, the raw hunger she had for him was evident, even from the beginning. She lusted over him in a way that was practically sinful. Probably illegal in some States. Yet, she kept her hormones leashed most of the time. She had been a virgin after all.

I tried to block my own intimate memories of Ian. But failed miserably in my attempts since the only ones I've ever had in this body were with him. And they were mostly of the two of us naked. It didn't help either that she was partly conscious during the tail-end on one of those instances.

The first time I dropped my guard was the first time I felt her silence quickly turn to jealousy which was mixed with a bit of hurt and a lot of hate. When she realized those weren't her memories, her resentment of me ran bone deep. In a way, she felt violated with the way we used her body. But a part of her was relieved, knowing it was her Ian who was the only one who touched her. She was just pissed off that the name he cried out when he came, was not hers.

And though I expected this reaction from her, I never once felt any regret for doing all those things with Ian. Guilt, maybe. But never regret.

It wasn't in my nature to fight for anyone, or for anything, for that matter – physically or otherwise. And I wasn't about to start now. That was why I wanted another Host. Ian deserved a chance to decide for himself who he really wanted. I wouldn't want to take that choice away from him. If he picked me, that would mean more to me than my own life. If he didn't...Well, I just hope to whatever higher power that she would make him as happy as I meant for him to be.

Now, I was more determined than ever to get out of this body. I've already been deemed a skipper so I might as well live up to the reputation.

The day after we arrived at the hideout, Andrew gave me a tour and introduced me to some of the main occupants who helped run the place. It was a rat maze meant to confuse anyone wishing to penetrate through its defenses. An outsider would easily get lost here. Rob even joked about requesting a GPS system for himself when he first arrived.

Hidden sensors and countless security cameras lined the walls, ceilings and even the floor. One had to constantly be vigilant so as not to trigger the alarm systems. But just in case someone was not careful, other security precautions were still put into place.

The only room that wasn't monitored was Andrew's bedroom. In fact, no one was allowed inside except his personal butler. It wasn't until he took me into the room a few days later, did I understand why.

From floor to ceiling, the whole room was covered by portraits and framed photographs of his family. Mementos to remember the loved ones he lost. My heart ached as I went from picture to picture, taking in the beauty of each captured moment. Andrew simply watched me while he sat on the couch that was nestled at the foot of his enormous California King bed.

Andrea wasn't immune either to the onslaught of my emotions. But where I felt sadness, she was elated. She loved seeing her happy memories in print.

"So...," Andrew said, extending the word a little. "What's your story?"

When I didn't move or respond, he said with a smile, "I've been meaning to ask you about it but thought to give you some time to yourself before I assaulted you with my questions. I hope you don't mind me asking now."

I cocked a half-smile at him. "I figured you eventually would. I appreciate your consideration about giving me some time to collect myself." Or more like, for giving me more time to think ahead about which details needed to be censored. Andrew definitely does not need to hear all the gory details.

He motioned for me to sit beside him on the couch. Instead of taking it, I went to the seat farthest from him. Who knows what Andrea would make me do with her brother in such close proximity. I've since learned not to give unwanted hugs. The first time was a definite learning experience. Doing it a second time would just categorize me as a full blown idiot.

He waited for me to speak. With a deep breath...

"I...," I started the tale from my insertion, quickly skipping through the grueling trek across the desert and the 'warm' reception that followed. I talked a lot about Melanie, like how much she hated me at first, and then somehow ended up considering me closer than a sister. For some reason, I couldn't tell him about Ian or even mention his name. Maybe because Andrea didn't want me to, or maybe because I didn't want him to know how I've been having sex with him while in his twin sister's body. I suspected it was the latter.

"That's nice to hear and all. Doesn't explain how you ended up here tho. The guys talked a lot about meeting a new human pack but, like I said, I tuned them out the moment they were talking about a celebrity. Guess it's been ingrained in us not to bother with mindless societal gossip the moment we probably popped out of our mother's womb. Go figure. But that's neither here nor there at the moment. What I'm really curious about is the reason you decided to leave your friends and come here with Nate."

"I had a...ah...huge disagreement with my um...._boyfriend_," I stuttered. "I needed space from him to be able to think right again and he needed time away from me to cool down too."

He narrowed his gaze at me. "Did he hurt you?"

I lowered mine. "No. Not in the physical sense, at least. Nothing that a little time apart won't heal."

As silence passed between us, he frowned. "What would he say about you changing hosts? Shouldn't he have a say in that?"

"I wouldn't think he'd mind. I mean, if it's really true that he loves me for me, then it shouldn't matter what body I'm placed into. Well, of course, as long as it's female, I suppose."

When he didn't press the subject, I let my gaze wander around the room, taking in all the photographs that lined every inch of the place. Looking back at Andrew, I asked, "Would you mind if I look around at your pictures?"

He shook his head. "Go ahead."

As I went around the room, imagining what it was like to live as they did, my attention suddenly snapped to a small photograph that was set on a beautiful gilded frame hidden behind rows of more family pictures. The picture on it was of Andrew, Andrea and my Ian sitting on the bleachers by a soccer field.

Although he was a bit younger here, he was still as beautiful as any human had any right to be. Piercing blue eyes were staring back at me; an aquiline nose set above a perfect mouth which had curled up on one side – that sexy, crooked smile he always flashed at me. His ink-black hair was artfully styled into his trademark 'messy' faux hawk. On anyone else, they wouldn't have been able to achieve that fresh 'just-got-out-of-bed' look like he did.

And that body was equally as stunning as his looks went. Sitting beside Andrea with his well-toned arms splayed out against the seats behind them, he might as well have a sign on his chest that read '100% Grade A Top Choice'. If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't be surprised if that was actually stamped on his butt. His broad shoulders were corded with muscles and clearly visible under the plain white shirt he wore. A flat stomach that, I assumed, was lined with a six-pack. Or maybe an eight-pack like he did now. And his pale skin had a slight sun-kissed flush to it that accentuated his features to an even higher degree. All in all, he had a boyish look to him but his build was obviously that of a man's. He was what every teenage girl fantasized about during those boring classes in school.

My mouth instantly watered just remembering how that perfect body had tasted against these lips.

Trying to keep my voice level, I pointed to Ian in the picture and asked, "How do you know him?"

He came up to me and looked over my shoulder at the picture. "Oh. That's just my old college roommate. O'Shea. Ian O'Shea. I guess I consider him my best friend back then. Man, that guy is a walking contradiction. Tough as nails on the exterior, but soft as a marshmallow on the inside. If not for his brother, Kyle, I think he wouldn't have seemed like the typical jock. He was a varsity soccer player, after all. He practically twists my arms to make sure I went to his games. He says he wanted to be sure to have at least one person cheering for their team. Not that they needed me anyway. Girls came in busloads just to watch them play. Hell, most of them weren't even from our school," he said with a laugh, probably remembering the absurdity of the image.

Then as if someone flipped a switch, his tone changed. "If Andrea was in town visiting, I would make her come with me too. She's not much of a soccer fan but comes with me anyway."

"Do you know what happened to him?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. Probably ended up like everyone else - captured and erased."

Although he spoke with somewhat of a forced nonchalance, his big grey eyes always belied his emotions. Especially with the way they remained locked on that picture.

"She really misses you too, y'know?" I muttered, trying to change the topic.

His eyes started to glass over, but he immediately caught himself. He didn't want to seem too eager or anxious about getting me extracted from her sister. Even though I knew he did. Without looking at me, he said, "I ah...yeah, I really miss her too."

"Don't worry, Andrew. I won't go back on my word. I promise. Besides, I think she likes the idea of coming home again." And I silently wished she would remain here too.

Sparing him the agony of having to ask, I added, "As soon as possible, if that's okay with you."

A flicker of expression passed over his face, but it quickly disappeared before I could catch it. "As soon as what, Wanda?"

"You're a good man, Andrew. In the few days I've known you, I've already realized as much. There's no point in delaying the inevitable. I'm ready whenever you are," I said, at the same time swallowing the lump in my throat.

He closed the distance between us. Softly, he clapped his hands on my shoulders and looked at me straight to my Soul, "Are you sure about this?"

Expelling a deep breath, I smiled, "Yup. Beam me up, Scottie."

The hug he gave was unexpected. And I returned it with just as much fervor until the trembling in his body finally ceased.

After a short while, he finally let go. Without another word, he took my hand and led me through the connecting doorway that led straight to the Surveillance Room.

_Holy cow_, now this was what I expected the hideout to look like. The whole area was filled with so much state-of-the-art technology; that human equivalent of a Spider, Bill Gates, would have had an orgasm just by looking at it.

Nate and a Soul I met earlier, Dances-With-Wolves (or Wolf, as he preferred to be called), had their noses pressed so close to their computer screens that I wondered how they were still able to read anything on it. They finally looked up and greeted us the moment they heard the door shut behind us.

When I was first introduced to Wolf, I was confused as to the origin of his name. No other planets ever had wolves, or at the least, have those canine characteristics. Turns out, he was earth-born and his Host happens to love that human movie from the 90's. He actually hasn't seen a wolf in real life. Much less, danced with one.

"Nate. Wolf," Andrew said as I waved back to the two. "Anything happening out of the ordinary?"

"Nah. Same shit, different day," Wolf replied. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say the Seekers have already shipped themselves off to Pluto."

Andrew inclined his head. "Good. Then it's quiet enough to run Operation Buffet for Wanda."

* * *

Redhead, blonde, brunette, tall, petite, fit, voluptuous, porcelain, bronzed, chocolate-colored – there were just too many choices. I didn't realize choosing a host was more difficult than selecting a planet to be reborn to.

So many choices yet none of them caught my eye. I was being a little picky, although I shouldn't be. But would it be so wrong of me to try and tip the scale a little on my favor?

As I scanned the monitors in front of me, I couldn't help but be amazed at how real life went on through the eyes of these humans. A dark haired man in a business suit sipping coffee by the bar, an elderly woman sitting on one of the couches with a romance novel in her hand, a young boy and girl chasing each other around the bronze clock, a....

My breath caught.

There she was – a tall, gorgeous, blonde female, with an oversized red backpack over her shoulders, was walking across the lobby towards the Front Desk.

Pointing at the screen where she was visible, I motioned to Nate, "Can you –"

He immediately uploaded that monitor's feed onto the central 50-inch screen in front of us. Even though I didn't get to finish my sentence, he knew to zoom in on the woman with the red backpack.

A little under six feet tall, and with a mane of varying shades of blonde that fell to the small of her back, the woman was a total knockout. Even under her baseball cap, I could already tell she was utterly beautiful. And her lean, slightly tanned skin was right off the cover of one of those swimsuit magazines Kyle liked to hide under his mattress.

Her gait was graceful but not overly confident. The plain white shirt she wore clung to her like a second skin and accentuated her perfectly proportioned breasts. Her denim jeans hung low enough that, as she walked, a small line of her flat stomach would peek out from under the hem of her shirt.

When she was right in front of the concierge, Nate switched the feed from another camera to get a better angle of the woman. I heard a handful of gasps as her face came into view.

"Does anyone know who she is?" I asked around.

They all shook their heads in unison but kept their gazes locked on her.

Shocking. I would have pegged her to be a famous model.

Her bright eyes were an unusual shade of aquamarine, partly hidden behind a curtain of dark brown lashes. The small bump on the tip of her long nose complemented a slightly plump set of pink lips. Her cheeks were a little flushed from sun exposure, and when she started to talk, a dimple appeared in the middle of her left cheek. She didn't mask her flawless skin with pounds of unnecessary makeup like most women of her age. And she shouldn't have to, I thought. Her beauty was already exquisite.

"_And how many nights would you like to stay, Miss...,_" the concierge prompted, as the sounds from that security camera were activated on our end and we were able to listen in on the conversation.

"_Silent-Breeze-Among-The-Stars_," she supplied in her lilting voice that hinted of a foreign accent. "_And I would like to stay for three days and two nights, if that's okay._"

"_It would be our pleasure if you did_," he replied. "_How many rooms will you require?_"

"_Just the one. A twin bed will suffice too._"

"_Very well_," he said as he handed her some kind of form. "_Please fill this up while I search for an available room for you._"

"Well, what do you think, Wanda?" Andrew said from beside me, taking my attention away from Silent-Breeze.

I glanced up at him and smiled, "She's perfect."

"Yeah, I think so too," he said back.

Wolf ran a Face Recognition program and transposed the results to the right-side of the central screen.

"Well, what do we have here?" he exclaimed. "I never thought I'd find myself saying this, but – you're in luck. She's been vaccinated."

"Vaccinated? What do you mean?" I asked. From the orientation I went through before coming into this Earth, no one ever mentioned anything about needing to get one.

"Long story short, when the rate of problematic Hosts alarmingly skyrocketed, they finally developed some type of vaccine to make sure the Host's owner never comes back. It's in the last phase of testing but some have volunteered to be their lab rats. Soon, the Souls were going to make that a requirement for everyone – regardless if you're a new arrival or part of the first wave," he explained.

I gulped. A horrible thought immediately came to mind. This vaccination thing is not going to bode well for the humans and their survival as a species.

Andrew interjected as soon as he sensed my distress. "Don't worry about it, Wanda. We're trying to intercept them as much as we could. But to be completely honest with you, there are some humans who are better off erased. Do you understand what I mean?"

I nodded once. Drug addicts and pushers, rapists, murderers, molesters, and especially those who beat their children – those were some of the ones he implied. The same ones that justified the reason for our invasion of their planet. The surviving humans and the Souls - both acting like two different sides of the same coin. With the same objective, it wasn't clear who was meant to win. The Souls have the upper hand now but these humans have proven to be more resilient than ever.

When I didn't speak, Wolf asked, "Take a wild guess what your species called the vaccine."

"Erase?"

Wolf clapped his hands on his laps. "Ha! You are a Soul. And yes, that's exactly what they call it."

My cheeks flushed crimson and I didn't even know why.

Andrew reached over Nate's shoulder to pick up the handset beside him and dialed. Seconds later, the red telephone on the concierge's desk rang. He picked up on the second ring.

"Front desk, Dust-In-The-Wind speaking, how may I help you?" was the standard greeting.

"Hey Dusty! That blonde female you were helping, give her Room 1423, will ya?"

"I'll send someone right up. Thank you for calling." The male set the receiver down as Andrew ended the call.

"Generic responses. Keeps eavesdroppers at bay," he explained in my behalf.

"Ah. I deduced as much," I said with a nod. "So why Room 1423?"

"It's the floor right above this one and it's the one room who's ventilation we manipulated so that we can blast some 'Sleep' medication into it while the Soul went on their nappy time," Nate explained.

"You guys do this a lot?"

Andrew answered. "Once or twice a month. Can't do it too often lest the Seekers get suspicious with all the disappearances around the Hotel. And we have to be picky with the ones we take out."

"How so?" I wondered.

It was Wolf's turn to expound. "Let's just put it this way, thanks to this Face Recognition Software that Rob developed-" he said, pointing at the screen. "We can pull up anyone's full background with just a simple point-and-click. That little genius was able to hack into AFIS and sync it with our system. And just like that, we can see if the human is even worth saving or if the Soul inside them has family members who'll be looking for them."

Crossing my fingers and saying a silent prayer to no one in particular, I asked, "Does Silent Breeze-"

Not waiting for me to finish my question, Wolf answered. "She's clean as a whistle. No criminal background, no family ties. She was orphaned at a young age – parents died when she was only two. A yoga instructor from...let me see here-"

After he tapped a few keys and pressed Enter, the results appeared on the screen.

"Switzerland," Wolf said out loud. "Guess that explains why no one knows who she was. Her Visa shows she came to the country with a big group for a Fitness Expo in Chicago. Don't think any of us needs to know how that all played out. The Souls probably hijacked their damn airplane on the way here and-"

His sentence was cut short when someone nudged him hard on the back. Probably Andrew.

Wolf had a confused look to his face but it was immediately replaced by an 'Oh. Right.' expression the moment he saw the warning on Andrew's eyes.

"I mean...uh...l guess what I was trying to say is that - that's probably how she ended up here. And...um...you know...," he muttered incoherently.

Neither of us spoke, and a pregnant silence filled the room – deafening the buzzing sounds of all the electrical equipment around us. I was still a bit bewildered to see other Souls act more human than was natural for us. More so, how easy they were able to separate themselves from the rest of our species.

It was a few breaths after when Andrew finally broke the silence. "I think I'd better go get the 'Sleep' meds from the cabinet out back," he said, pointing to a door behind him with his thumb.

Before he could turn around and walk towards it, I instinctively grabbed his arm to stop him. Then quickly pulled my hand away when I realized what I just did. "Oh god, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that," I apologized meekly. "I just wanted to ask you about something. I really didn't mean to grab you like that."

He reached out to hold my hand. "It's alright, Wanda. We don't bite up here," he said with a wink. "Go ahead, just ask away. What was it that you wanted to know?"

With a sheepish grin, I asked, "When both the Soul and her Host are knocked out cold, how will you get her out of there? Is there like another hidden walkway that connects this floor to that room too?"

"Nah. We just go in there and take her out."

My eyes widened in horror. "But what if someone will see you? They'll definitely notice if you're holding someone in your arms and you're wearing sunglasses in the dead of night!"

Andrew simply laughed. He didn't respond but started to fumble through the pockets of his jeans to pull out a small plastic container that was actually two flat cylinders that were fused beside each other. He held out my hand and placed it on my palm.

When I merely stared at it, he said, "Open it."

Holding one of the cylinders in place, I unscrewed the one on the right and carefully inspected the contents. Clear liquid swirled inside the container. At first, I was puzzled as to the use of this liquid. That is, until Andrew shone a light directly at it with a penlight and something silver reflected light back at us.

"Contact lenses designed with a ring of reflective material to simulate a Soul's eyes," he explained. "From a far, no one can tell they're not real. And basing it from your reaction, the Soul's don't even know what they are. We only use them just for these occasions. They're a bit uncomfortable but we're working on that."

I looked at him in amazement. Wow. This was simply unheard of. The possibilities of this had my mind spinning in all different directions. What have these humans not thought of yet?

Leaving me with my mouth gaping open, Andrew chuckled and strode off towards the door he pointed at previously.

While everyone continued to watch the monitors, my mind raced through all the things I have learned in the past few days I've been here. An idea formed in my head as to how to grant my family freedom from the caves. My skin tingled at the mere thought of it.

Lost in my own musing, I barely heard Wolf call out my name. When our gazes met, he simply inclined his head towards the central screen. My attention went back to the concierge as he gave the keys of Room 1423 to Silent-Breeze, right after she handed him back the form she filled out.

"_Do you need help with your bag? We can have a bellhop bring it up for you._" Dusty offered to the woman.

"_No, it's fine. But thanks for asking. This thing may look like it's carrying everything including the kitchen sink but it's really not that bad. I've lugged it across different States without breaking a sweat. This body must have been built for backpacking across the Swiss Alps," _she said drolly.

Could this Host be any more perfect? Strong like Mel, exceptionally beautiful like Ian.

"_If you say so, Miss, I believe you. Personally, the thing looks like a trip to the Healers to me."_

Her laughter was both sincere and genuine.

"This is it, Wanda. Are you still sure about doing this?" Andrew asked as he suddenly appeared beside me. And from his tone, I could tell he was asking for the sake of it. "You know you can back out if you want to."

Not likely. I'm done being a parasite. This unlucky streak has to end now. Not just for me, but for Ian as well. And if it helps someone else along the way, I'll consider that a bonus. And what better way to go about this than with this blonde beauty who's heading for the elevators.

"Just make sure to keep your end of the bargain, Andrew. I trust you not to ship me out. You don't owe me this but I ask it from you as a favor. One I intend to repay tenfold."

Sincerity filled his eyes. "Yes, you have my word. And no need to repay me. You're already giving me back my sister."

And with that, I knew I've sealed my fate.

* * *

As I stared up at the bright medical lamp that hovered on top of me, only one thought went through my mind. Actually, it was more like an image.

Ian.

Looking at those brilliant sapphires, I said - _Please tell me I'm doing the right thing here. Please._

When I closed my eyes to let the sweet smell of raspberries fill my lungs, Andrea's voice suddenly filled my head. And for the first time, her words were directed at me.

_You'll never have _My _Ian._

**

* * *

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**A/N (again): What do you think of the body I chose for Wanda? Credit goes to Cherry Tulips for helping me envision her new Host and for the name Silent-Breeze-Among-The-Stars. Thank you, girl!!**

**If rumors are true, I guess they've already started casting for the movie. Where do I sign up as an extra? LOL Who are your picks?**

**Once again…'Love it', 'Hate it' or 'Meh'. I actually also respond to 'Please update soon' statements. Those keep me going whenever I get those dreaded writer's blocks. hahaha**


	16. Straightjacket

**A/N: I am eternally grateful to the following people for taking their time to read and review my story: mizDevine, MyBell, xXDreamWriterXx, stephgirl123, oohapoo, Cherry Tulips xD, dilidilzz86, uberspazztastic, kimmitwilight, TeamIanandEdward, hannahkathless23, red and SephiX88. **

**Once again, credit goes to Cherry Tulips xD for helping me pick out Wanda's new body and especially for the name Silent-Breeze-Among-The-Stars. Thanks, girl!**

**Disclaimer: SM owns everything about the Host. But I do have the paperback version of it with the Bonus Chapter. W00t!**

**

* * *

Ian POV**

_By the end of the second week, I was about to blow up. _

The first rays of dawn were peeking through the dark, motel room curtains, stirring the other occupants from their slumber. Day 14 had ended with pretty much the same monotony of the past 13 days that came before it. Driving, shopping, eating, sleeping. Each day, a xerox copy of the last. That was how boring the raids have become. The rush, the excitement of danger, and the pump of extra adrenalin were all gone. All that was left in me was apathy. I could never understand how women prefer to live their days like that. Shopping all day, stopping only to eat and rest.

My own impassivity was the cause of this subjected tedium. Burns had given us numerous tips on how to blend in with the Souls. And with the newfound knowledge, everyone took turns joining him inside the stores to test out his theories. Everyone, except me.

I preferred to stay in the van; sulk to my heart's content. The problem was, my heart was as hollow as the Undertaker's own grave. I should have joined them inside the stores but even their enthusiasm could not break through my perpetual foul mood. If I did move out of the shadows, my scowl would automatically tip off the Souls that I wasn't one of them. Heck, even my fellow humans thought I wasn't one of them anymore. What's left of me is a shell of the human I once was.

The ennui had claimed me with the equivalent of a sane man desperately trying to be free of a straightjacket he voluntarily placed himself into. Fourteen days have gone by without my Wanda and I was about to go insane. Perhaps I probably already was. Maybe I'd better hang on to that straightjacket after all.

I pulled back the curtains to let the sunlight in, welcomed its warmth against my skin and let the heat simmer the last vestiges of my sanity. Had my hair been any longer, I would have pulled it all off by now. But Trudy was damn talented with those shears that any time they grew any longer than two inches, she would be strapping my ass to a chair until I let her have free reign over them. In Trudy's mind, just because we lived in a cave doesn't mean we should all look like Neanderthals. And I wasn't about to argue with a menopausal woman with a weapon.

So I gripped the window sill as hard as I could until my knuckles turned white.

_Enough._

I've absolutely had enough of this. The last fourteen days wound me up so tight like a virgin on prom night. A single tap on this glass and no doubt, I would shatter. It was time to head to New York, even if Wanda thinks she's not ready to face me yet. I've already made my decision and until hell froze over, it wasn't likely going to change. She can reject me all she wants but she should know that I will continually fight for her. Kill, if I had to.

And before I could do any more damage to the window, someone was being suicidal and dared to clamp their hand on my shoulder.

"What," I snapped, threatening to bite the hand off its socket.

He jumped back and automatically held his palms up in surrender. "Easy, man! Didn't mean to disturb your sunbathing over here."

I growled. It was Jared. Typical of him to provoke me in my sullen mood.

"What do you want?" I barked.

He didn't answer. Instead, he moved to stand beside me and linked his hands behind his back - assuming a military stance. His face was stoic as he stared out the window. "Nice day for a drive."

I snorted. "Looks just like any other day to me."

"Let me rephrase that -," he corrected. "It's a nice day to take a long drive farther East; like say, to New York, perhaps?"

I stared at him and blinked. "Thought you were hell-bent on making sure Wanda got her three weeks away from me?"

"True. But Mel is getting annoyed with your sulking. Plus, she misses her sister like crazy. You know I would do anything to make her happy."

"Let me guess, you're in the doghouse – aka the couch – until Wanda is back with us, huh?"

His lips curled but kept his mouth shut.

Figures.

We continued to stand there, simply facing the sunrise like two pissed off sentinels on guard duty, running on expired caffeine.

As silence stretched on between us, Jared shook his head. "What is it about women that they can easily make strong men like us heel to their every whim?"

"Other than the fact they've got whips and chains, with our names on it, stashed under the bed and ready to be used the moment we said '_No_'?" I shrugged. "Beats me."

"That must be it because I'm sure as hell, that woman's got me whipped."

I stifled a laugh. Because deep down, I knew Wanda's got me whipped too.

Gah! This was nuts. We were two grown men with dog collars.

I shook my head to clear the image.

"I honestly don't get it, y'know?" I said. "You flat out tell them you love them and that there's no one else for you. But for some reason, they understand it as something else. It's like we're both speaking in different languages. I don't know what else to do to make her realize it. Seriously, is it really that hard to comprehend?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. Or maybe she's just as stubborn as you are," he answered.

"And here I thought Kyle and I were the epitome of stubbornness. Wanda sure takes it to a whole 'nother level that's bordering on pigheadedness already."

He chuckled. "Sounds like Mel to me."

"No wonder they're sisters. Being stuck inside Mel for that long will definitely have that effect on you," I retorted. "But, man. All this waiting is sending me to an early grave."

"I guess all you can do is to grant her what she asks of you. At least if they turn around and say otherwise, at least you can go back and say, _'Hey! That's what you told me to do in the first place.'_"

"But what if she really meant for me to run after her instead of sitting back and waiting for her to sort her own feelings out?"

"Shrug and attribute it to male ignorance of the female psyche," he suggested.

"I don't think sarcasm will work with her."

"True again. But it wouldn't do you any good if you forced yourself on her either. Just let it go, Ian."

Jared was right. Common sense dictates for me to let it go. But since I grew a heart and it beat the crap out of that seventh sense, I doubted that I can.

_What would it take for Wanda to see my side?_ I wondered. There has to be something. Anything at all.

"What if I proposed to her?" I blurted out without thinking.

"And do what? March down Saint Patrick's Cathedral with a bunch of bridesmaids and groomsmen in tow?" he mocked.

I pegged him with a hard stare. "That's not what I asked."

"I didn't make out with my ex while my girlfriend's Soul was inside her and landed myself in this fucked up situation. You asked a question and I answered it. If you want another answer, then ask a different question."

_Dammit._ He's right. I don't even know why I blurted that out. It is way too soon to be asking that of her. Besides, I doubt the Souls have the same understanding of marriage the way humans do. But then again, humans have distorted that concept a long time ago. Gone were the days when it was either you were Single or Married. Now, there's Divorced, Legally Separated, Unmarried Partners, Significant Others, Married but Living Separately, and god knows what else.

"Fine. I'll ask a different question but don't be giving me any more shitty-ass comments."

He shrugged.

"How do you think she'll react when she sees me again?"

"Run to you, away from you...who knows? We'll never know until we get there, won't we? But if that were me, I'd kick the crap out of you for plain kicks and giggles."

I rolled my eyes. "How the hell does Mel ever tolerate you?"

"My charm more than makes up for the fact I lack a filter between my brain and my mouth."

"You're incorrigible, you know that? But as much as you annoy me right now, I'm actually glad you've finally developed a sense of humor. Dry and sarcastic as it may be, at least it's somewhat tangible."

His face softened a bit before he muttered, "Me, too."

"She's good for you, isn't she?"

He nodded. "More than you know."

His tone was more serious when he said, "We understand what you feel, O'Shea. You're not alone in this. We'll get her back even if it has to be in a cryotank."

I cringed slightly at the implication of what that would entail. So I decided to stir this discussion somewhere else. "Are you still serious about heading for New York today? Or was that you talking out of your ass because you haven't gotten any for the past two weeks?"

"A little bit of both. The last thing we need is to have two sulking teenagers, a sex-deprived man and an innocent Soul all stuck inside a van. Better if we relieve the situation before one of us self-implodes."

"I really wouldn't consider myself innocent at all." The redhead suddenly spoke from behind us. We glanced back and saw him entering the room in his...._sweet Jesus_.

"Are those _'Sugar Daddy'_ pajamas?" I exclaimed.

He smiled sheepishly. "I happen to have an affinity to those caramel suckers," he said. The flush on his face quickly matched the color of his hair.

Jared inclined his head at the redhead, "You were saying about your innocence?"

Burns chuckled. "Let's just say, it had gone vamoose the day Rob joined our little crew. That kid sure has a mouthful on him. I'm surprised bossman hasn't kicked his ass a long time ago."

Jared and I gawked at him in disbelief.

"What?"

"As a Soul, you sure talk more like a regular human," Jared pointed out.

"So sue me." The redhead cocked a half smile.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

Suddenly remembering something, I turned to Jared. "What about the rest of the raid?"

"Well, since we hit all those wholesale stores, we're pretty much done with it. We've never packed the moving truck this much even when Wanda went with us," Jared said.

"Ahem." Mel cleared her throat from behind Burns. He quickly stepped out of her way.

She sauntered towards Jared and circled her arms around his waist. As tall as she was, Jared towered over her like a hulking mass of pure protective energy. Raw power flowed through him and I was quite sure he wouldn't hesitate to drop the beat down on someone stupid enough to take his Melanie away from him again. To quote Mr. T – _I pity the fool._

She took one look at us and frowned. "What's with the overflow of testosterone over here?"

Holding her close, Jared kissed the top of her head. "It's nothing, hon. I was just asking the guys here what they thought about heading to New York today."

Her eyes immediately lit up.

And for the first time, I heard Melanie squeal like a tween.

* * *

It was just the four of us in the van - Jared, Mel, the redhead and my sorry ass. Jared decided to have Aaron and Brandt go straight back to the caves with instructions to notify everyone else that the rest of us stayed behind to check out the other rebel cells. There would be no mention about the situation with Wanda. God only knows what would happen if they found out she left us two weeks ago. Not that it was her idea to begin with. But knowing how close-minded the rest of the people were at the caves – (cough)Maggie and Sharon(cough) – we can't just send them back as messengers of half-truths.

Well, okay. So maybe we just did. Fuck it. They'll live. We'll just have to remember to snag some more Heal before we head back home. Too bad there's no such thing as 'Resurrect'. What fun we'd have with that!

Burn's GPS beeped.

50 miles to go...

The redhead was driving while the rest of us sat in the back. Behind us, mountain profiles were already fading fast. Civilization was close by; I could see it's faint line stretched across the horizon.

40 miles...

We flew past towns and quaint little suburbs. Those monopoly-style houses cast light against our windows like dizzying lines that blurred the rest of the landscape. I was looking at them, but I didn't see any of them. The images they created were like a bunch of postcards that were getting tossed around by the wind. Nothing specific, nothing spectacular. The world was the way it was, the way it always have been. Nothing on the outside really changed. And even though I've seen them on our countless raids, it never failed to make me homesick knowing we can never be a part of it again.

30 miles...

At the first sight of New York City's bright lights, my fingers started to twitch – like trembling bad, twitching. For some reason, it seemed like my senses have suddenly been jump-started after two weeks of running idle. I finally had some direction and my body somehow sensed it too. It wouldn't be long now till I have my Wanda back in my arms. Her absence was slowly killing me from the inside. She should have known she took a big chunk of my heart when she left. Hell, she practically took that whole organ with her. What was left in its stead was something else that simply pumped blood for pure anatomical reasons.

10 miles...

I all but shoved my foot against the gas pedal; if not for the fact that I wasn't the one driving. And a good thing that was. The Seekers would have been right behind with their red and blue lights flashing for us to pull over. Right now would not be a good time to reenact that horrible moment from just a couple months ago.

5 miles…

Too much adrenalin was pumping through my veins; it was as if I spent the entire day swimming in a pool of Starbucks' double shot espresso and got slammed into a cage with no way to get any form of release. My beacon was calling me and I was still stuck in this van. I could already sense she was near and my whole body had reacted appropriately. As hard as it was not to rip the doors open, it wasn't as hard as I was right now just thinking of her. _God, _I miss her.

4 miles…

3 miles…

2…

And then, there was 1.

As the redhead slowed the van down to a stop, so did our breathing. Carefully, each one of us peeked through the heavily tinted windows to check out our surroundings; only to be shocked shitless back into our seats.

_Hot damn._ Nate's group sure has balls to have their hideout in the middle of this overcrowded anthill. This kind of crazy can surely give Jeb a run for his money. Although we already knew their place was a Hotel, I don't think any of us realized just how insane the concept was until we saw it with our own eyes.

And the thought of mingling with such a crowd had us all cowering to the back of the van. Not even the level-headed Jared could mask the fear from his face. His sienna eyes all but popped out of its sockets. Mel's widened hazel eyes mirrored them as well. I forced myself to remain stoic but the effort was only a dime above pathetic. The twitching in my hands had turned to trembling while my body stayed frozen in place. We were smack dab in the center of the devil's lair – unarmed, unprepared, exposed – with nothing more than just a thin sheet of metal and rubber acting as loin cloths to cover our privates.

My senses were registering all kinds of warnings - Run. Hide. Bolt. Not even 'Duck' could quite cover this. I knew Wanda would have been okay here. Heck, she would have felt right at home with all these other Souls.

But the three of us were entirely a different story. How in heaven's name can three mice survive in a tank filled with rattlesnakes?

Glancing up to the massive building structure of Waldorf-Astoria, the redhead said in a faraway tone, "Here we are - Casa Waldorf - Real Home of the Brave."

_Yeah_. How apropos.

Yet none of us dared to breathe. And it wasn't because the total opulence of the place rendered us speechless. It was more due to the fact we were too scared to make a single sound, even that of breathing in air.

Burns chuckled when he eyed the three of us from the rearview mirror. And if I didn't know any better, I could have sworn he mumbled _'Happens every time' _or something to that effect.

Jared swallowed audibly and managed to get a few words to slip out his mouth. "_What_ happens every time?"

"Whenever we bring other rebel cells here, they automatically get that deer-caught-in-headlights look just like you guys," he said matter-of-factly. "Never fails."

"What? Did you expect us to sit calmly on our asses while death waited for us right beyond these walls? No offense, bud, but I don't trust you enough not to open these doors and willingly hand us over to your leader," Jared hissed.

The smile slowly faded from redhead's eyes. "Fair enough. But just so you know, when I say we've done this countless times, I mean countless _successful _times. None caught; Souls- none the wiser. Besides, bossman would happily skin my hide if I lost any of you."

"This _bossman_ of yours...he must be one heck of a loon," I inferred, after I regained some semblance of composure.

"Nah. He's cool. Just the smartest guy I've ever met. One might even wonder if he was a Spider. The two legs thing is a giveaway that he wasn't."

"What was that you said before about how you guys came into possession of this Hotel?" I wondered.

"His family owns the place," was his response.

_Damn._ Must be nice to have a Hotel to your name.

I was dimly reminded about Andrea's family. She mentioned in passing that they owned a Hotel chain. I never asked the name of it and she neither offered it.

"So where is this parking garage that you spoke of?" Mel interjected.

Redhead pointed to the building right beside the Hotel. "Right over there. Three levels down, there's a service entrance that'll lead straight to the Hotel's Maintenance room. But since we can't get access to it from our side, someone from the inside will have to open the door for us."

"And how do you propose we get someone to do that? Is there some kind of buzzer or doorbell? Oh, wait. There's a brass knocker with a Butler on the other side waiting for us, huh?" I asked mockingly.

He didn't answer for a solid minute. "Um...maybe?"

"Seriously?"

"No, I kid. It's actually the Reaper waiting on the other side of the door," he said with a grin.

Mel smacked him on the arm. "You're so not funny."

"Ow. Jeez. Lighten up, you guys," he said as he rubbed his arm. "Security cameras are lined up everywhere. In fact, they probably already know we're here. See there?" he said, indicating to an inconspicuous blinking red light at the entrance of the garage.

"Yeah, what about it?" I asked.

"Wave, and don't forget to say _'cheese!'_"

**

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**A/N (again): 'Love it', 'Hate it', Meh it', 'Update NOW'…..please let me know. :) Every single review alert I get never fails to put a smile on my face.**

**Who got to read the Bonus Chapter? What are your thoughts about it? **


	17. First Come, First Served

**A/N: Sorry about the delay. My house became a Hotel for a couple weeks and I briefly changed my profession to a Tour Guide. But enough with the excuses. I should start listening to everyone and update soon – which shouldn't equate to three weeks later. LOL**

**Shout outs to all you fabulous people out there who reviewed my story: Dizzien, stephgirl123, TeamIanandEdward, mizDevine, oohapoo, Cherry Tulips xD, Karen, booky-true-false-identity, megs was here, xXDreamWriterXx, abeherdi3, SephiX88, wand19, Moonlight16, cellogirl, and Lady Fingers20.**

**Special thanks too for those who've added this story into their Story Alerts and Favorites list. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: - was already written on too many chapters already.  
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Wanda POV**

I braced myself for the onslaught of the first memory - which would be the last memory of this Host.

But there was...none. Nothing. All I saw was a blank screen in front of me; like a TV with an unplugged power cord. No static, not even the fuzzy reception from rabbit ear antennas.

I waited minutes for it to come. Or was it hours? Has it been days already? No. It had only been mere minutes since my reinsertion. Strange. Where was that last memory?

Before I could work myself up into a state of panic, I heard a faint voice calling out to me.

"Wanderer?"

There was no confusion as to who owned that voice. With its deep husky tone, there was only one man whose sadness ran evident in every word he spoke, even when he was derisive.

Andrew. My ex-host's twin brother.

"Wanda? Can you hear me?" he said again.

I felt his hand on my arm. It was rough and callused like Ian's. But they weren't Ian's. Andrew's touch was not the one I craved against my skin.

My skin. Mine. _Finally mine._

I opened my eyes slowly; not out of fear, but because that was what one did after waking up from sleep. And that was exactly what it felt like - like waking up from a ten-minute power nap that was long enough for a quick system reboot.

For the first time, I felt...free. Undeniably, irrevocably free. I can't explain how I knew this. I just somehow did. For once, everything felt right- like this was how it was meant to be, how it should have been from the start.

My being in Melanie's body was wrong in so many levels. I initially tried to suppress her but I had known my attempts would be futile. And then, of course, there was Andrea.

With this body, it was the same – only Silent-Breeze's memories lingered and there was none from the original owner. Though things seemed similar, it just wasn't. It was my gut feeling that told me so. Maybe this was the effect of 'Erase'- the human, consciousness and all, would be completely...erased. Wolf told me the human's name had been Liridona Rush. Rather ironic, really, how it meant 'longing for freedom' or 'free willed.'

I silently wept for the erased human. But I knew there was nothing else anyone of us could have done to bring her back. Because that was how our medicine worked - there were no warning labels or disclaimers attached to them. They performed exactly what their names meant. It was as simple as that.

I tilted my head towards Andrew. When my gaze met his, the left side of his mouth curled up into a half smile.

"Hey. Welcome back, Wanderer."

"That was quick," I couldn't help but blurt out.

His chuckle rang throughout the whole room. And it was immediately joined by several others around him.

A smile broke from my face as their laughter reached deep into my marrows. Life was good here because of the people that called it home. A part of me actually hurt knowing I'd be leaving all this behind.

Craning my head away from Andrew, I looked at the handful of people that milled the surgical room. This had been a Hotel room that was converted for such purpose. Elegant crown moldings still lined the corners around its high ceiling, black and gold wood panels covered halfway along the walls, and several gold-framed paintings were displayed with their own spotlights.

There was a garden-variety mix of humans and Souls present. Some looked up from what they were doing to smile at me while some continued on with their work; checking monitors, analyzing computer readouts, and balancing trays and medical supplies as they maneuvered around other operating gurneys and hospital equipment.

After surveying the room, I suddenly realized there was something missing.

"Where's-"

"Andrea's fine. We transferred her to my room right after your extraction. She refuses to wake up but she's always been stubborn like that. And I don't want to give her any 'Awake' yet because I know she'll come to on her own when she's ready."

"Why aren't you with her?"

He slightly blushed before answering. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Not that I expected anything to have gone wrong. But I thought you'd be more comfortable seeing a familiar face when you woke up. I...I can leave, if you prefer."

I rolled to my side and pushed myself up into a sitting position. I was trying to be careful just in case I didn't have full control over my senses yet. Turns out, everything worked perfectly. All eight hundred twenty-seven points had bound themselves securely into this Host.

"No. I'm glad you stayed," I said, slightly shaking my head and causing long waves of multihued locks to fall over my shoulder. "Looking at you is a good reminder why this was the right thing to do. Without-" I caught myself before saying Ian's name. "-my _partner_ with me, I constantly second guess myself for making this decision."

"He'll understand. Heck, if he won't come running when he sees you in your new Hot Tamale body, I would think he's mental."

"Or gay."

My head whipped around to see Rob smirking as he sauntered into the room.

"Hello, Rob," I said in greeting.

"Well, hellooo yourself," he said, licking his lips as his eyes went from my face, down my body, to my legs and up again; then finally lingering on the mounds of my chest. Thank goodness I was fully clothed.

Desperate to further shield my already shirt-covered breasts, I quickly patted around me for a blanket; grateful that someone had left one by the foot of the bed. Before I could pull up the sheet to cover myself, Rob let out a laugh in his hearty baritone.

"I'm just playing with you, Wanda. But you should have seen your face! It was priceless enough for a Mastercard commercial."

"A what?" I asked in confusion.

He shook his head with a chuckle. "Never mind. It's an old joke."

"What brings you here, anyway?" Andrew asked him. "Shouldn't you be helping out at the loading dock?"

Rob shrugged. "I got bored there so I went to the Surveillance Room and decided to screw around with the Soul's main information database. Now that their data is scrambled up like a motha', it'll take them decades to put that Humpty-Dumpty back together again," he said with a laugh.

Andrew glared at the young man. "You jackass! And you think the Souls won't notice you did that?"

"Nah. Some Seekers were getting a bit too nosy, sticking their shit in where they don't belong. So I figured I'd tamper with their records, like say, of Soul disappearances and any reports they suspected rebel cell locations to be. And since I can't just limit my magic on those areas, I had to 'fix' everything else. And it's not like I erased any data; I simply gave them different answers. Besides, I made sure they couldn't trace our IP address."

"How do you manage to accomplish something like that?" I inquired.

"Encrypting our IP address? Um...it's kinda technical. Don't think you'd enjoy listening to me ramble on about the inner workings of a computer right out of your reinsertion. And as to the data change, It's as simple as going to any other website, Wanda. The Soul's information database is available for viewing and editing online, relying on everyone's 'good' citizenship to keep all records current and up-to-date. Your kind is too trusting like that as to allow everyone free access to it."

Too trusting? It has always baffled us how something as simple and easy as trusting, can seem such an impossible feat for humans. But then again, that was in our basic nature as Souls. We were exactly like our medicines. We trust, because that's what we are supposed to do. Funny how I'm starting to get the feeling that our very nature might well be the cause of our own downfall.

"What's so bad about being too trusting?" I thought out loud.

"An excess of anything is never a good thing. Take Andrew, for example," Rob inclined his head toward him. "Since the guy is actually smarter than a 5th grader, his intellect has to be counter-balanced by his total lack of people skills."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "People, I can deal with. I can't help it if I'm constantly surrounded by idiocy."

"Says the guy with the million friends on Facebook."

"And I really give a shit, why?" Andrew retorted. Then he turned to me and said, "Forget someone else is in the room with us. Would you like to rest for a few days to get yourself acquainted with your new body?"

"Oh no. I'm good to go," I said, flinging my new longer legs off the bed. "And about that...I would like to be more help around here if you'd like. I would gladly take whatever position you can offer. I know you didn't want me doing anything before while I was still in your twin's body. So now that I have this taller and stronger Host now, I would really like to be able to get my hands dirty. Besides, I've got to do my share in this place."

"You're a guest here, Wanda. And we don't make our guests go to work. But-" he added as he saw I was about to argue. "I know there's no other excuse I can come up with to stop you. So, if you must, Dusty needs help manning the Front Desk. You can start tomorrow. For today, you rest. And that's not a request."

I literally jumped off the bed to hug him. But stopped myself short when I was less than an inch away.

_Dear Bears of the Mist Planet, _I thought to myself_. _I was virtually standing at eye level with the man; give or take a few degrees shorter.

"Whoa!" Holding on to the side table to steady myself, I muttered, "This height will definitely need some getting used to. I wonder how Mel will feel seeing as how I'm a couple inches taller than her now."

Rob chuckled. "No doubt I'll enjoy seeing _you_ get used to your new body as well," he said, wagging his eyebrows at me and giving me that same look of hunger. And it was apparently not for the lack of food either.

My whole body flushed crimson.

Andrew moved to smack Rob a good one on the back of his head again. But at the split second before his hand could make contact with the occipital bone of Rob's skull, he ducked out of the way.

"Ha! Not this time, boss," Rob said with a smirk. "As much as I feel the love every time you do that, I prefer not to have a permanent print of your hand on the back of my head and getting stamped as your property."

"You're right. I do that out of love for you. Now make like a useful human for once and show Wanda to her new room."

"New room?" I asked.

"Since you'll be helping out at the Front Desk, people will start noticing your face. You'll have to take one of the apartment rooms on the lower floors that's nowhere close to either the Penthouse or the Thirteenth Floor. Don't worry. It's relatively safe. Some humans stay there too and the rest of the other Souls are still none the wiser. We all know how to handle ourselves around your kind," Andrew explained.

"Okay. I guess I'll just grab her - I mean, _my - _bag from her room and all the other stuff I still have from my room," I said.

"Silent-Breeze's bag is already on the other side of the bed, Wanda. And the clothes you used to wear won't fit you anymore so you don't need to make those extra trips. You can just go enjoy your new digs. I'll have someone bring you your work uniform. And as for toiletries, the room will be fully stocked with everything you need," Andrew said kindly.

"If you say so." I walked to the other side of my bed and picked up my new possession. Before I followed Rob out the door, I turned back to Andrew. "Will I still see you again?"

One side of his mouth curled up into a grin. "I'll see you around, Wanda. You can definitely count on that."

I knew words were not enough to show my gratitude to this human for all that he has done for me. And I didn't have any worldly belonging that was even worth offering. But I had to start somewhere.

So hoping he wouldn't strike me with this outburst, I literally lunged my whole weight towards him and delivered the first hug I've given in this body.

* * *

Nine days have passed since my insertion into this Host. I've had a good nine days of getting accustomed to this new body. Tall and lean, I was feeling so much stronger. Maybe even stronger than when I was in Melanie. Though I may not have her passion for running, I believe this body is more than capable of participating in a triathlon. Now this was the kind of Host I was talking about. No more wimpy, damsel-in-distress type of woman here. Which suited me fine since I much preferred to be the rescuer than just settle on being the rescuee.

And all the humans and Souls alike here have been more than hospitable to me. They didn't treat me with hate or anger or even distrust unlike how it was in the caves. It saddened me to know why it couldn't be the same there.

In my haste to get away from this body, I didn't even think about the consequences of changing Hosts. Would they accept me inside this body or will it be another episode of Mel again?

I dreaded the reception that awaited us back there. But at least I'll have Ian by my side. Assuming he'll still pick me. A quick thought came to mind but I immediately brushed it off. I shouldn't be entertaining such ideas. As long as he allows it, my place will forever be with him; no matter how comfortable life would be here among my fellow native Souls and these humans.

Nine days have passed and I haven't seen Andrea since. Just like when I was still inside her, she avoided me altogether. She never wandered outside the Thirteenth Floor, preferring to stay in complete seclusion from other Souls. I wasn't at all surprised. Just like Candy, she must still be feeling the aftereffects of having your body getting taken over by someone else. Either that, or she really hates my guts for choosing to stay behind.

I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and felt a cool breeze pass through my neck. The air conditioning system was cranked up in the gym. Good. I intend to really sweat it out in here. The cacophony of sounds from treadmills, ellipticals and weights being dropped on the floor were music to my ears.

This was my first day off since I started helping out at the Front Desk. Initially, I refused the break; preferring to just put in another good day's work. But then, Andrew had threatened to infuse enough 'Sleep' meds through the vents in my new room that would have guaranteed to knock me out for, at least, the next two days. So instead of taking the day off, I decided to take this new body through a test run.

From the time I woke after the reinsertion, I've since wanted to test out these muscles and know the limits of their strength. I wanted to know how fast I could run, how much weight I could lift, how flexible I was. The latter one, being for Ian's benefit.

I pulled out one of the yoga mats from the corner and spread it in front of the wall-length mirror that lined the whole East side of the gym. Taking a deep breath, I stepped unto the mat and raised my arms above my head to start the workout with simple stretching exercises. But the moment my bare feet touched the mat, something inside me kicked into autopilot.

Next thing I knew, my body was twisting itself into all sorts of yoga stances- from a peacock pose to the wide-legged head stand to a side plank split. Advance yoga poses that were practically impossible for a normal human body to accomplish. It wasn't until I ended with the Marjarasana - commonly known as the cat-dog pose - did I notice how quiet the entire room had become.

Whilst on my hands and knees, I discreetly scanned the room to figure out what had caused the silence. What I saw made me blush as if I was still in Andrea's body. It was as if someone had pressed the 'pause' button on this place as everyone stopped - or dropped - what he or she was doing and decided to gape at me. All eyes were staring intently at me while their jaws dislocated themselves from their mouths. Some of which had dropped so low, they probably needed to be scraped off the floor. And those were mainly from the males in the room. When my gaze locked with theirs, it took them a while to catch themselves as chagrin took over, making them look away.

My own mortification had me chastising myself for the lack of control I obviously displayed with this body. Coupled with the fact that I decided to workout in a sports tank top that didn't even reach my navel, and matching fold-over yoga shorts that didn't leave much to the imagination.

Not that I had any choice in the matter. I didn't want to burden anyone with getting me new workout clothes when the backpack I inherited already had tons of them inside. No wonder Silent-Breeze could easily travel around the country with that huge backpack. She only had two pairs of jeans, a couple shirts and a whole bunch of yoga outfits that didn't require too much textile. I first thought it would be improper to wear such skimpy outfits. But the moment I put them on, it just somehow felt so right against this skin.

In one lithe movement, I was up on my feet and moving towards the corner where I left my towel and water bottle. I grabbed the towel and quickly wrapped it around myself. I really shouldn't have been surprised at their reaction. This getup was inappropriate for working out, no matter how comfortable my body felt in them. Next time, I'll make sure to come down here with my shirt and (gulp) jeans, if I had to.

Before I could fully cover myself, I felt a warm hand touch my arm. When I looked up to see who it was, I froze. It was another native Soul, Blazing-Saddles. Paige, his human wife who was sporting silver-lined contacts, was beside him.

Blazing Saddles was a huge male, covered with muscles from head to toe. His immense height would make Kyle look like the miniature bobble-head version of him; and the way he was ripped all over, one would think he was fed protein shakes instead of infant formula when he was still a baby. Paige was a well-toned woman who obviously lived her entire life in spandex. Both of them were the gym's personal instructors, employed by Andrew to run the place.

"That was amazing, Wanderer," the big man voiced out.

"How did you know how to do all those yoga stances?" Paige beamed. Then eyeing the towel around my chest, she asked, "And why the hell are you covering yourself?"

Not wanting to look them in the eye, I concentrated on my feet and mumbled incoherently, "I'm uh...I'm really sorry about that. I didn't mean to come here dressed like this. It's just that, I didn't have anything else to wear. These were the only things I found in my Host's bag. I only thought because she was a yoga instructor that this would be appropriate for the gym."

Someone chuckled beside me. When I looked up, both of them were smiling at me. _That_ really made me blush even worse.

It was Paige who finally spoke up. "We could care less what you have on, Wanda. A lot of women come in here with outfits just like yours. Some, not at all modest. And no one here would still mind."

"Then...then why was everyone staring at me?" I whispered softly.

"Because of all those impossible moves you just pulled off back there. They've never seen anyone do all those stunts before without breaking a sweat. A lot of professional yoga instructors have come and gone here and, trust me when I say, you easily take them to school," she explained with much reverence.

"Oh," I remarked, chagrin still clear on my face. "I, myself, don't know how I knew how to do all those poses. Somehow they just felt like second nature in this body."

"Maybe that's your true calling. Maybe you were meant to be a yoga instructor instead of being a concierge at the Front Desk. We've been meaning to get one but we weren't sure there'd be enough attendees to justify hiring a teacher for it. But judging from the way everyone was checking your moves a couple minutes ago, I suspect our sign-up sheet would be longer than the Magnificent Mile," Blazing-Saddles mused.

"What do you say, Wanda? Would you take the position?" Paige practically purred with unbelievable puppy dog eyes.

I was tempted to say 'Yes'. But just because I was tempted, it didn't mean I would take it. For once, I could actually say that I have my head screwed on right.

"Thank you for the offer. It's really flattering. It really is." And before they would get the idea that I would accept, I quickly added, "But no, I can't stay here much longer. I have a family to go home to and they would be coming for me soon."

Paige pouted with evident dismay. "Aww...are you sure? I was seriously hoping these goons would look at someone else's ass for once, other than mine. It gets old pretty fast."

Blazing-Saddles flicked his towel at her butt. "And here I thought _that_ wasn't the reason you spent countless hours working on your posterior."

She blew him a raspberry and playfully punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" he yelped. "Have you been taking lessons with Ali behind my back, female?"

Paige rolled her eyes at the big man. "Sissy."

"Sissy?" he growled. "I'll show you sissy." He then swooped her off her feet and kissed her with enough intensity that would have made everyone in the room blush just by watching them.

"Get a room, you two," someone chided in a joshing tone from behind them.

Blazing-Saddles broke the kiss as he swiveled around, with Paige still in his arms.

Andrew had walked into the room.

It had been more than a week since I saw the guy and I had genuinely started to miss him.

He made his way through the dumbbells and exercise equipment towards us. On his face was his favorite droll expression. Ever cheerful, never fazed. Except when it comes to Rob, that is. He had a nasty way of getting on Andrew's nerves. As Andrew puts it, the only reason why Rob does that was because he was the only guy the kid knew was actually smarter than him. And it pissed the royal hell out of him. The way Rob explained it, _hackers _hated someone who had one up on them. And Andrew definitely had one up on Rob.

"Hey sweetie. Finally talked yourself into taking a day off and joining us in the gym today?" Paige asked.

I cocked my eyebrow at him, which he returned with a sheepish grin.

"Just making sure Wanda did," he said. "Can't have people thinking I was some sort of slave driver around here. Normal people need their day offs."

Paige wiggled out of Blazing-Saddles' arms and gracefully landed on the balls of her feet. "She's been here. I've been keeping an eye on her for you the entire time. I think everyone else here has been too," she said with a wink in my direction.

I glared at Andrew. "You've been asking people to spy on me?"

"No. Not spy, Wanda. More like, watching over you. I wanted to make sure you were comfortable here," he explained.

"Oh," I whispered in chagrin.

"So, how's it going over here?" he asked the other two.

"Simply fab. I really think Wanda should consider working with us here in the gym as a yoga instructor. The girl's got talent and downright skillz to boot," Paige said.

"True that," Blazing-Saddles tacked on. "You should have seen her turn herself into a human pretzel just a while ago. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was triple jointed."

"Is that so?" Andrew asked me with a knowing tone.

"Not...true?" I mumbled in response.

Andrew chuckled. "Believe me, guys. I've tried to talk her into staying. But where her boyfriend is concerned, I don't think that's an option."

A few groans rang out around us. _Have others been eavesdropping on our conversation? _

Just then, Andrew's walkie-talkie chirped. He pulled the radio out of his back pocket to answer it. "Yeah?"

"_Hey, boss. It's Rob. I got a problem." _

"Do I look like Dr. Phil to you? Personally, there's nothing more I can do about your mental state," he quipped.

"_Nah. You're more like a Dr. Ruth. And no, I don't need no sex therapist, thank you very much._"

"And I can't help your delusional nature either. I don't do miracles."

"_Aren't we a bunch of smart-asses today?_" Rob asked rhetorically.

"I'm smart. You're just the ass."

"_And?_"

"Wanna throw in a couple nouns and verbs in there? Maybe even an adjective? What do you want, boy?"

Rob grew serious, his tone losing its usual spunk. "_You know the short blonde female who looks just like you? The one you charged me to watch over?_"

"Andrea?"

"_Yeah. Her_." Rob paused. "_She bolted._"

"What," Andrew cursed. "Did she tell you where she was going at least?"

"_Nope. We were at the Surveillance Room monitoring the security cameras. I briefly heard her gasp in front of one of the screens before she jumped right out of her seat and ran right out of the room_. _I went to check what she saw before I went after her._"

"What was she looking at?"

"_The feed from the elevators. With Burns and three of Wanda's friends in it_."

Oh. No.

I shot past Andrew and raced to the exit. I briefly heard him calling out for me to wait. I couldn't stop. I had to get there before she did.

I flung the gym doors open and, as fast as these legs could carry me, I gunned for the stairwell. Good thing the gym was only three floors below the Penthouse. I still had a slim chance of getting there before her if she was going to take the secret elevator from the Thirteenth Floor back up. My heart was beating so fast, not only because my Ian was finally here, but also because I didn't know what would happen if she did get to him first. Anxiety started to envelope me. Fear became the sound of my beating heart. Uncertainty was all I could see.

I willed my feet to run like the wind. And, thank goodness, they did. Grateful for these longer legs, I was able to take the stairs two, sometimes three, at a time.

Heavy footfalls rang out on the steps below me. Andrew was not far behind.

I didn't care to wait for him and he couldn't catch up to me even if he tried. I was faster than him.

As I got to the vestibule of the Penthouse, the elevator chimed to announce someone's arrival to the floor. Sweat ran down my spine as I prayed to whoever would listen that that sound had meant Ian, Mel and Jared were here. Not her. _Please _let it not be her.

When I opened the door into the Penthouse and saw the wide expanse of the room in front of me, I caught myself as I suddenly became aware of what I was about to do.

None of them knew I had been reinserted into a new Host. They wouldn't recognize me inside this body. For all they know, I was an imposter meant to deceive them for whatever unknown reason. And I wouldn't blame them in the least for being skeptical. They simply wouldn't know who I was.

Instead of stepping forward into the room, I shrunk into its shadows.

"Wanda? Are you okay?" Andrew asked as he came up beside me. "Shit! You're as white as a ghost, woman! What the hell happened to you?"

I didn't answer. Nor did I even blink.

Just then, the sound of four footsteps echoed around the great, big room. And then there was the soft sound of a pair of rubber soles running across the room as a flash of blonde hair whizzed past us.

Andrea. And I couldn't even stop her. Not even if I wanted to. My insides yelled for me to move and grab her. But I was already slapped with enough common sense to know that I shouldn't.

The moment Ian's profile came into view from the corner of the elevator door, I found myself unable to breathe.

He was so beautiful. My Ian was so beautiful and he was finally here.

As my heart soared at the sight of those piercing blue eyes, it was immediately shot down by the sight of Andrea jumping into his arms. Then shattered into a million pieces as I saw Ian hold her and kiss her in front of me.

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A/N (again): Love it, Hate it, Just Meh, Update Soon. Two words that'll make my day, regardless of what they would be, if they were done in the form of a review. You can even make it a challenge for me - write it in your own native tongue. That would be so awesome to see different languages on the Review page. :)**


	18. Arrived

**A/N: First and foremost, I would like to say a heartfelt 'Thank you' to the overwhelming response I received for that last chapter. 19 reviews in all. Wow! That's the most I've ever received for one lone chapter. And to those who left me a review in their native tongue,** **Salamat, Dank je wel, Obrigada.** **From the bottom of my heart, Thank you. Amazing how the reviews are getting more creative with every chapter. I loves it!**

**Once again, special Thanks to the following for all their effort in taking the two seconds (or more) to review my story: Hear The Rain, oohapoo, Dizzien, mizDevine, TeamIanandEdward, Dilidilzz86, bruna black, xXDreamWriterXx, SephiX88, 123, kim, wand19, booky-true-false-identity, megs was here, Cherry Tulips xD (who I'm awarding the most creative Review for the chapter! LOL), tIgErPrN06, cOn Bites, Amanda, cellogirl, and SWATangel.**

**Quick note…this chapter might be a little confusing at first. Just remember, it's in Ian's POV and he has no clue Wanda already changed hosts.**

**And without further ado…**

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Ian POV

If there was a time I really despised elevator music, it would be now.

At the rate I kept running my fingers through my hair in anticipation, I might end up being the '_before_' shot of a Rogain commercial. We've been riding this elevator for god knows how many minutes now but as luck would have it, the thing decided to stop on every possible floor, with Souls and humans alike, bustling in and out of these doors without an inkling that there were three very uncomfortable rebels in their midst.

I was leaned against the back wall behind Burns, my head bent low to shield my eyes even though they were completely hidden behind Oakley sunglasses, my hands gripping the railings as if they were some sort of life support. Melanie was holding Jared's hand, seeming to tame his rather tense body. And Burns stood casually with his hands behind his back, whistling. The damn fool was _whistling_. To show tunes, nonetheless.

It was a while before we finally had the compartment all to ourselves. Still, the elevator decided to crawl its way up. That was when my excitement turned to agitation.

"Can't this elevator go any faster?" I griped. "Please tell me this ancient thing isn't being operated by an equally old woman on the other end of the pulley."

"Impatient much, are we?" Mel ribbed.

"Be in my place, Mel, and tell me you won't feel the same way."

"I'm just as nervous and excited as you, O'Shea. But I'm better at hiding my emotions," she said, releasing Jared's hand as she crossed her arms around her chest.

Jared choked back his laughter.

She glowered at the man. "Got something to say to me, Jared?"

Jared stiffened a bit. "I love you?" he drawled.

She shot him a disproving look. "You're not totally out of the doghouse yet, big guy. I'd watch myself, if I were you."

"Don't worry, hon. I do that all the time. Watch you, that is."

She rolled her eyes at him and went back to tapping her feet in time with the beat of this godawful elevator music. One would think she was another resident in this building, waiting patiently to reach her floor. The only thing that gave away her true mental state was the deep furrow of her brows. But nothing more.

Melanie was right. She really was better at camouflaging her emotions - especially now when the same thing was making me feel like a total wreck. But I couldn't help it. The twitching in my hands had started back in the van, eventually turning to trembles when we reached the parking garage, then finally ending up into full body tremors the moment I set foot on the lift. I was like an addict on remission and had suddenly sensed that my drug of choice was close by.

But Wanda was a different kind of drug. Like aspirin. Or Tylenol. She healed me in ways I couldn't even understand. And though I was addicted to her, she didn't bring out the negative side effects that recreational drugs had with it-causing you to succumb deeper into it's fiery pits, chained you, then crushed the very existence you once called your life.

No. My Wanda was-and still _is_- way better than that. And she deserves more than what my pitiful hide could offer. Good thing I wasn't a self-righteous bastard or I would have given her up a long time ago.

'_Hurray for selfishness! Way to make yourself feel better, mate!'_An inner voice said to me.

_Moron,_I shot back. Of all the rotten luck, my conscience is as sarcastic as I am.

The elevator finally chimed to denote our arrival into the Penthouse.

"Here we are," redhead announced.

_Yeah._Here we definitely are.

The doors opened and the soft, muted light from the lone wall sconce of the Penthouse's vestibule slowly poured in. The place was relatively dark considering it was still daylight outside. The massive curtains that hung from floor to ceiling were all drawn, acting as shields against the sun's penetrating gaze.

I pulled off my sunglasses and stuffed them into the back pocket of my jeans. I had to squint to get my pupils to dilate against the darkness. Still, all I could see were the silhouettes cast by furniture that were artfully littered across the space, slowly fading into shadows that lined the entire breadth of the room.

Burns walked ahead first, closely followed by Jared and Melanie.

I had barely set foot into the room when I heard the echo of muffled footsteps coming from, I assumed, the Master's bedroom. The three of them kept walking towards the center of the Living Room; I doubt they even noticed the extra sound. But I stopped and stiffened-my whole body frozen right down to the core-even though my heart had started pounding fiercely against the prison known as my chest.

Then it all happened so quickly.

One second I was standing a foot outside the elevator doors, the next...

A tiny, blonde woman jumped into my arms.

This woman looked a lot like Wanda - same long, golden hair that reached past her elbows, pale skin with a slight silverish undertone, freckles that lined the bridge of her nose. She also had that sultry scent of gardenias and vanilla that I loved. Just like Wanda. And when I looked into those familiar silver-lined gray eyes...I couldn't help but smile.

This was _my_ Wanda.

Without as much as a simple '_Hi! How've you been?_' or a '_God, I missed you!_' - _hell_, I didn't even get to say her name - I held her close in my arms and quickly, but gently, lowered my mouth to hers. So many weeks I've waited to taste those luscious lips again, to inhale her sweet scent and let it engulf my whole body. So long since I've held her in my arms that words need not be spoken in this instance. And dear lord, I prayed to be stuck in this moment with her. At least for a while.

It was bittersweet as our lips and our tongues danced in their own awesome tango while the memories of three weeks past flashed in a series of stills in my mind. We haven't formally made up yet, but here we were, locked in an embrace that defied all logic. But that was the way of my world...common sense oftentimes took the back seat.

"Mother. Fucker." Someone growled from the shadows.

Startled, Wanda broke the contact and leapt away from my hold. On instinct, I grabbed her in the waist, whipped her behind my back and faced the stranger who was coming towards us. Jared and Mel immediately took post on each of my side, helping me protect Wanda from whatever, or whoever, had tried to scare her.

Two tall figures emerged from the darkness - one gaunt, blonde male and a..._whoa!_A Victoria Secret model?

Even if we couldn't quite see the man's face, that calculated stride of his made it obvious that he wasn't at all happy to see us; despite the redhead's assurance to the contrary. At least we were sure about one thing: this guy definitely didn't walk like a Seeker.

And although I could still sense danger from him, my attention kept getting diverted to the woman beside him who, clearly had the intention of leaving had the man not have his hand clasped tightly around her wrist. She had her head bent low and was desperately trying to look away from us. Was she...whimpering? It seemed so. But I couldn't tell. Her entire face was shielded by all that multicolored mane of hers.

I tried to keep my focus on the male and not on that godsend body beside him. And yet, looking at her caused that damn muscle in between my thighs to harden. The _bloody_ traitor. Obviously, it had a head of its own.

But I shouldn't have been surprised. She was like those perfect, underwear-clad models whose posters they plastered on every corner of the VS stores, hoping to make other women think that if you bought what they sold, you might actually delude yourself into imagining looking as sexy as they did. Both men and women-married, taken, or otherwise-just couldn't help but look. Stare. Ogle. Or god knows what in the privacy of a bathroom.

'_Focus, Ian,'_my inner voice called out again. _'Don't let your dick be the only one using its head right now.'_

Damn it. I forced my eyes to look away from her.

He was getting closer. The man was built lean. Probably had zero fat on him though he was not at all beefy or muscular. And yet, undiluted strength emanated from him.

As he walked into the glow of the wall sconce, we got a better look at his face. Blonde hair, pale skin, freckles along the bridge of his nose. Long, dark lashes covered his eyes, making it hard to figure out the color of them.

I frowned. There was something about him that I just couldn't place. Something that looked awfully like...

_Shit._It can't be.

"What the hell are you doing, Andrea!" the man yelled at Wanda, causing her to shake behind me.

"Andrea? What are talking about?" Mel barked at the guy. "This is Wanda, not Andrea, you fool. That's just her body. God, if I have to relive that moment again, I swear I'd-" She didn't continue. Mel had gotten too flustered for words. And as vocal as she was, that really wasn't a good thing.

He ignored her but turned his gaze on me and snarled. "In any other circumstance, I would have been happy to see you alive and well, Ian O'Shea," he said, drawing out my name as if it had bile slathered all over it. "But as it is, I'm a little ticked off right now. Can you imagine why?"

"Andrew?" I choked out.

"Yeah. We meet again, roommate," he said with a sneer. "I don't know what the hell just happened right now. But for your sake, that better not be what I'm thinking or you've got a shitload of explaining to do."

I held on to Wanda tighter. _God,_this is _not_how I pictured my reunion with Wanda to be. My old roommate, Andrew- alive and...well, what do you know? The leader of the rebel cell that's crazy enough to be located within the bowels of Soul's society. I definitely did not see that one coming at all. Or perhaps, it should have been obvious from the start. I always knew Drew was some kind of super genius and wealthy enough that money probably grew in the trees of their backyard. So for anyone to think he had easily fallen against the Souls would be a total insult to his intelligence. But considering what went down that time, anything would have been possible.

So where does that leave us right now?

In one total mess. Obviously.

_Ha!_ TNT didn't know drama. If they did, they would have already used my life story as a soap opera series with all this crap going on at once.

As we stared each other down, no one else said a word. Strained silence stretched out in the room. The only sounds came from the air-conditioning system and from the woman beside Andrew whose sobs have yet to slow down.

"You think whatever you want, Drew. Think of the worst explanation, if you must. You'd probably be right anyway," I said without remorse.

He continued to glare at me with those gray eyes. I wasn't sure how much Wanda had told them during her stay here. If she had decided to keep to herself like the way she initially did at the caves, then _yup_!I might have a lot of explaining to do. Although I'm quite positive that Wanda had to explain to Andrew her reasons for being here. Any person with half a brain wouldn't be so callous as to graciously welcome a Soul-inhabited human into their secret world without at least asking for an explanation. Nevertheless, I'm glad she left the part out about me and our activities behind closed doors.

It was only a few heartbeats later that comprehension dawned on Andrew's face and the glare he gave me was the ocular version of a mental _'Son. Of. A. Bitch.'_

"My twin sister. Of course. And all the while I thought you had turned gay when you stopped having your frequent one-night-stands where I ended up having to sleep outside in the hallway while waiting for you and your women to finish."

If insulting me is his way of blowing off steam, I guess I have no right to pop his cap for it. So I decided to remain quiet and let him have a go at my ego, regardless of how bad my fists were itching to make contact with his mandible. I probably deserve the tongue-lashing anyway. I just hate the fact that I'm getting the beating in front of everyone else.

"Why am I not the least bit surprised? You've gone after every girl who so much as glanced in your direction," he continued unrelentingly without pause. "Like you needed the ego boost, huh, O'Shea? So, was that it? You just had to have every girl added to your résumé. It didn't even matter if it was your roommate's sister or not. Did you at least stop to consider if I thought you even deserved her? Probably not. Tell me, did you even love her or was she just another statistic to you? Did you actually care for her or did you simply toss her aside with the next piece of trash the moment you got her into your bed?"

"And how about Wanda? Had the thought never occurred to you what it would have done to her? How can you be so reckless and insensitive?" He shook his head then waved his free hand in front of him. "No, don't answer that one. You're a jock. And you'll always be an egotistical asshole no matter what. And to think I hoped you would be different. Just...what the hell were you thinking, Ian?"

For once, I was rendered speechless. Countless times I've asked myself those same questions. Countless times I've convinced myself that my actions were justified. But how come now – in front of all these people – I was suddenly so unsure? Maybe quite simply...I had been in total denial.

As everyone in the room turned to stare at me - including the woman who now stood freely beside Andrew - I felt myself suddenly in need of air.

"Answer me, damn it!" he cried out.

I glanced away from his accusing glare. "She was never a statistic. And-" I let the words hang in the air, unable to find ones that would truly convey what I felt.

"And what, Ian? Did you...did you love Andrea? Did you love..._her?_" This time, the question came from a timid voice behind me. From Wanda.

I turned around to face her. With my hands planted squarely on her shoulders, I looked at her straight into the reflective silvers rings of her eyes and said, "You already know the answer to that, love. I've told you before. Why do you still have to ask?"

"Because you never said it to her before. To Andrea."

I whipped my head around to check who had spoken; only to be shocked stiff when I realized the speaker had been the unknown woman in the room._Why_, in heaven's name, would she care? And more to the point, how _did_ she know?

"Only because you didn't get a chance to until it was too late," she replied, as if she heard the question that was brewing inside my head. She finally looked up and met my gaze, light reflecting from her silver-lined eyes. The woman was a Soul too.

Unable to control myself – mainly because I had a temper rivaling that of a two year old on a tantrum – I snapped at her. "Don't patronize me, woman. You don't know me, so don't even try to guess what I did or didn't do."

Horror struck her face as if my own hand delivered the blow. With the aftermath of that explosion, I thought, _'Where was all this rage coming from?'_All at once, my anger turned to guilt as I saw her recoil from where she stood. _Christ,_was I trying to break a record of how many people I can piss off in one night?

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for," I quickly said in apology. "I shouldn't have lashed out on you like that. You didn't deserve that unwarranted outburst. Especially not from someone you didn't even know."

She refused to look me in the eyes again but nodded once to acknowledge the apology. Nodded and said nothing.

"But is it true?" Andrew interjected.

I raked my fingers through my hair and took one long drag of the stale air around us. On the exhale, I took solace in the thought of finally ending this chapter of my life that still refused to let go of the past. The Epilogue for this story had long been overdue while my new one with Wanda was already begging to be written. Now that everything will be laid out for everyone to see, I prayed this would be the last time I'd have to revisit that dark place in my heart again.

If only Andrea were here to hear this too.

"Yeah. She's right. I did love her. And I was planning on telling her too. But fate was a bitch who took pleasure in dangling carrots in front of hungry rabbits; and before I knew it, Kyle and I were on the run for our lives. Homes abandoned, friends forgotten, loved ones got left behind. There wasn't anything I could have done to change it. At least that's what I thought then. And I mourned for that lost life for the most part of six years. Wanda almost became the victim of the darkness that consumed me; almost paid for it with her own life. But somehow, she managed to pull me out of the grave I've slowly dug myself into. She helped me through it despite my initial attempt at her throat. And now, there's nothing I would do to ever change the past. I am where I am now, not in resignation to what fate decided to push down my throat, but because I've finally decided to let love and life go on."

I leveled my gaze on Andrew. "I loved your sister when we were together despite your assumptions of me being the typical jock. Like I said, she wasn't just another name in my black book, a statistic to add to my 'countless other conquests'. But that was then. That wound has finally healed, leaving me with a scar to always remember what I've lost. I've since moved on from that part of my life."

"I could say all the mushy stuff to prove how much I love Wanda. But that is not me. I don't go out and buy expensive candy knowing she'll hate me for the pounds she'd gain from eating them. And I definitely don't buy flowers that'll only wilt and die two days later. Forget cheesy Valentine's Day cards that only contain words conjured by discontented office workers from cramped 6x6 cubicles. There is no real love there. Just a bunch of words strung together, mass-produced and sold for profit."

"So call me an unconventional lover. But Wanda is hardly your typical, average woman either."

"What I can offer her is nothing tangible; nothing that you can easily put a price tag to. For all that she has unknowingly given me, she deserves more than what any Department Store purchase can ever compare. I guess saying that 'all I can offer her is simply my love' is completely overrated and definitely the cheap-ass' way of being in a relationship. But it is what it is."

"I. Love. Her."

"Three little words, when written on cheap manufactured paper, can mean absolutely nothing. But when truly meant from the heart, could soar you to new heights and still keep you grounded."

Wanda suddenly squeezed my arm tight. Uncharacteristically tight. Was it because of what I said? I could only hope it's to acknowledge she felt the same way too. I laid my hand on top of hers and gently squeezed it back.

"I almost threw my life away after Andrea," I admitted. "Then Wanda came along and made my miserable life worth saving. I have a new reason for living now. And that is-" I slid my arm around her waist and pulled her close to me. "-with Wanda by my side.

Silence. Nothing but pure, unadulterated silence.

"You know, Ian," Andrew finally spoke. "As much as you've managed to piss me off about mackin' on my sis, I can tell Wanda really does love you too. Having her here for the past three weeks has shown me that. I don't know why but she somehow does. Must be in the water you guys drink over in the caves. Makes people do stupid things. Anyway, even though you knew how much she cared for you, you still broke her trust. And that's something that can't easily be repaired by a Hallmark greeting card either. So, yeah. I can see why she left. I would have left your sorry ass too if I was in her place."

"Well then, I guess I should be grateful she actually wanted me back, right? Considering-"

He took one look at the female Soul beside him and shook his head again. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Jared and I exchanged looks of utter befuddlement.

Mel calmly responded. "Well, sorry to break it to you, bud. But if what you walked in on wasn't what you considered a perfect billboard ad for a happy reunion, you just might need to get your head examined."

"Oh, my head is perfectly fine..._Melanie_, is it?" He asked.

With the entire hullabaloo, it completely slipped my mind to do the introductions. "Um...yeah," I chimed in. "Andrew, this is Melanie and Jared." Then to the two, I said, "Guys, meet Andrew. I'm sure you both figured out who he is by now." The three of them inclined their heads to one another in acknowledgement.

I waited for him to introduce the female Soul to us but he didn't as much as blink to show any indication he was ever going to.

"I guess, now that _most_of the formalities have been addressed- Andrew, do you mind expounding what you meant with your comment? You know...the one about Wanda not being sure about wanting Ian back?" Jared asked.

"Ask her yourself," he said in response.

We all turned towards the fragile woman beside me.

"Not her," Andrew exclaimed. Exasperated, he rolled his eyes and mockingly said, "Will the real Wanda please stand up? Or in this case...please raise your left hand."

As if he was answering his own question, he raised the left hand of the woman, whose wrist he held on to this whole time. And it wasn't the wrist of the woman who was cradled against my side.

_What. The. Fuck._

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A/N:

As of **06/28/10**, this chapter has been revised from its previous content. What changed? Wanda's POV was removed, improved and placed into its own chapter. In my anxiousness to get Ian and Wanda back together again, I didn't realize what a blank page the next chapter would become. So many questions were left unanswered, so many details disregarded. So in fairness to you and to the characters of this story, I've given Wanda her own chapter. And hopefully, this will take me out of the hole I've dug myself into and I'd be able to update sooner. 


	19. Pushing Me Away

**A/N: IMPORTANT! This is more of a revision of the previous chapter than it is an update. As I appended at the end of Chapter 18, I've taken out Wanda's POV and improved it to suit the story better. I realized that it wasn't because my mind had taken a long vacation that caused me to update too long but because of the way the last chapter ended, I was pulling up a complete blank. Sorry about that. **

**Let me know which version you prefer. I can always repost Chapter 18 as it was. **

**Many, many thanks to the following wonderful people for their wonderful reviews: **Dilidilzz86, Dizzien, mizDevine, oohapoo, TeamIanandEdward, booky-true-false-identity, tIgErPrN06, kim, cellogirl, Amanda, Cherry Tulips xD, xXDreamWriterXx, Ponypal95, megs was here, moonlight16, Te Amo XxxX (or Lillyymayy), WriterFlower, kristin, Red, bruna black and Lady Fingers20.** WOW! 21 reviews in all! My heart goes out to all of you!**

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Wanda POV

I tried desperately to yank my hand down but Andrew's hold on my wrist was strong and steady.

It was unnerving seeing him riled up like this. Not once had he lost his temper this bad around me. Around others, he oftentimes did. But never at me nor towards any other Soul. Maybe the betrayal was too much for one human to bear. And I wasn't the least bit innocent in that regard either. I did my part in lighting up his fuse; for not telling him my partner was someone he knew. It was just as well then that I should feel as horrible as I did now.

I wasn't sure how long all of us stood there. Suspended. Speechless. Like, once again, someone had pressed the 'Pause' button on the entire scene. I could feel their stares switching between Andrea and me as if they were watching the Finals of a table tennis match; with their eyes moving from left to right, right to left, following the motions of that single white ball bouncing between opponents. Yet their heads remained in place.

None of it mattered though. Ian's words still sang in my ears. When he said those words, right away I was swept back to the time when I first realized I was deeply in love with him. This big, proud man has given himself up for everyone to see; bared his feelings for everyone to criticize; broken down for no one to help put the pieces back together again. He still loved me regardless of what we've been through. And so did I.

So my heart still soared towards this man, even though he didn't know that wasn't me inside Andrea anymore. I couldn't blame him for acting like that around her. And yet it hurt so much to see her clinging on to him, and him holding her close. _That should have been me_, was my only thought the entire time. And that was why I couldn't bear to look at those brilliant sapphire eyes. Because if I did, even these strong legs won't keep me from crumbling to the floor.

Eventually, Andrew lowered my arm and I had to massage it from the strain that was caused from it being held up too high and for too long against my will.

I didn't return anyone's gaze. Instead, I kept my head bent down low and concentrated my eyes on my bare feet. In my haste to reach Ian before Andrea did, I had totally neglected to put on shoes. And now, the dirt and rubble on the soles of my feet were starting to cut their way deeper into my skin. It was only then that I noticed - I had been numb the whole time. Slowly at first, my senses were returning to me. Then as if on cue, my whole body went hypersensitive.

Pain shot through my legs, starting from my feet where the soles were still tender from running three floors up without protection. My skin shivered from the blast of cold air shooting down from the overhead vents of the central air-conditioning system, stinging the parts left uncovered by spandex. The sound of every intake and exhale of breath was amplified as its echoes bounced around the whole expanse of the room. But when I could taste the bile slowly rising up my throat, that was when I realized - I was about to totally lose it.

Because, one - there was no way they'll ever believe Andrew when all they could sense was a lie. Skeptical as they were, this probably only seemed liked a trap.

But that didn't faze him in the least. His voice was strong and steady as he addressed them. "Surprised? You shouldn't be. After all, did any of you honestly think Wanda wouldn't ask for a new Host? Even if I never asked to get my twin sister's body back, do you think she wouldn't be the first to offer her return anyway? Melanie, of all people, you should have at least seen that one coming."

I couldn't tell if Mel was blushing or cursing under her breath. But what I did know was that, comments like those never failed to irk the bejesus out of her. For no one - not even Jared - should question the relationship Mel and I had with each other. To her, our bond ran stronger than any blood ties could.

So it wasn't that she didn't see this one coming. It was more like, she had a feeling it would happen but refused to believe it anyway. And that was what bothered her the most. Twice already, she had been unable to stop me. I guess stubbornness really ran in this family.

Mel rested her hands on her hips - a position she assumed whenever she was in her (insert word that sounded similarly close to 'beach') mode. "Okay. Hypothetically speaking, let's say that Wanda really did change Hosts and Andrea has, indeed, returned. How then is it possible that this woman - who you say now is actually Andrea - still possesses a Soul inside her based on one obvious detail that she still has that silver ring in her eyes?"

Andrew all but smirked. "How about a game of Show-and-Tell? I tell my sweet twin sister to get real and she shows you why her eyes are lined by silver. How about it, sis? Think you can do that?"

Andrea shot him an indignant glare and held on to Ian even tighter.

Undeterred, Andrew simply shrugged and reached again for the walkie-talkie in his back pocket. "Fine. I guess we'll have to do Show-and-Tell...Andrew-style."

He pressed the push-to-talk button with his thumb and spoke into the handset. "Radio One to Control. Do you read me?"

"_Yeah, I can read just fine, asshole. Learned how-to from those Playboy magazines with your mum on the covers_," came the reply. Rob was on the other end.

"Not really in the mood to deal with your charming qualities right now, Rob. Just do me a favor and bring me the security feed of the Surgical Suite from nine days ago. I'm up here at the Penthouse."

"_Is that the feed from_-"

"Yeah. That one," Andrew finished for him. "Bring the feed of Room 1313's kitchen from three days prior too. I have a feeling we got a tough crowd to persuade today. And Rob, make it STAT if you know what's good for you."

"_Yeah, yeah, ol' hard-ass dick-tator. I'll be there before you can get your panties all up in a bunch_."

"Figured you lot would be more of the visual kind," Andrew said to them as he returned the handheld radio to his back pocket. "Nothing I say would convince you otherwise."

None of them responded while we all continued to stand there in silence, anxious for Rob's arrival.

True enough, he arrived in no time at all. He handed Andrew a small black box that looked something like a portable flat-screen TV with a USB drive sticking out from the side. Surprisingly, not a single smart comment came out of his mouth.

"Shall we?" Andrew prompted, indicating for everyone to gather around the table where he carefully propped the screen up on a stand.

Jared snorted and planted his feet firmly into the hardwood floor. It stood to reason he was still weary of this whole situation. Mel moved to get closer but he grabbed her arm and held her down. Ian didn't even move a muscle.

"I'm well up-to-date with my vaccines, thank you very much. Recently got my rabies shot too, just in case you pussies are worried I was going to bite," Andrew said in a disparaging tone. "Now, come watch."

When none took the bait, he quipped, "If I told you all that what I have here is the last Porno left in this Earth, would you come take a look?"

That only elicited a growl from Melanie.

"Okaaay. Guess not." He shrugged. And turned the thing ON anyway. "Well...suit yourselves with the nosebleed seats over there. Don't expect to get popcorn service from where you're standing at."

The screen flickered a bit. Then the overview of the Kitchen came into view - with Andrea and Andrew talking by the stove. No, that wasn't Andrea. That was still me in that body. I can still remember that conversation as if it only happened yesterday.

Andrew looked over his shoulder and called out, "If you want answers, it's all here in the security feeds."

Jared and Mel looked at each other for a brief moment then resigned themselves to join Andrew in front of the portable TV. Burns, who had been smart enough to stay out of this little fiasco the entire time, also walked over and sat beside Andrew. They exchanged a nod, a quick _how's-it-going_ and returned their eyes to the screen.

"You got sounds on this thing?" Jared asked.

"Yeah. It's on the side. Uh-huh...yup, right there. You might as well turn it to max," Andrew said as he pointed Jared to the volume controls.

Ian hung back, just stood there and stared at nothing and everything all at once. He looked perplexed and confused, as if the compass of his life has finally lost its North Star. And now, the needles are pointing without direction and without purpose. His beautiful face was drawn tight into a frown, blue eyes losing their brilliance, broad shoulders slumped in fatigue. He was a mess. The ink, sapphire and ice were a puddle of colors splashed against a big skeletal canvas; each hue undistinguishable from the other. It was painful to see him like this. To see him with her. And when our eyes briefly met, he immediately looked away. Apparently, it was painful for him to see me as well. Was it in revulsion to what I've done? I hoped not.

A heartbeat later, he turned on his heel and walked slowly towards the others, leaving Andrea and myself behind.

The sounds from the TV echoed in the room as she and I finally stood face-to-face with each other. Two people who looked nothing alike yet yearned for the same unreachable thing. The glare she gave me would have easily burned a hole through my skull. But behind that fire was irrefutable regret – regret at how the events have come to pass - and an undeniable longing for someone who she knew she'll never again have.

Though some might beg to differ, Andrea was completely justified in her anger - much like how everyone in the caves had been entitled to it too. In all honesty, I understood where she was coming from. Had our roles been reversed, I...I don't even want to know what I would have done then.

Besides, this was to be Ian's choice. Not mine, nor Andrea's, to make for him.

Minutes passed in stillness. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. Maybe that's why Andrew thought it was safe to leave me untethered where I stood. He knew at this point that I wouldn't be able to find it in myself to leave anymore. And he was right. I was done running away.

A gasp.

I tilted my head towards the others and saw Mel clasp her hand to her mouth and the screen in front of them finally turned black. And in one coordinated movement, heads turned to face me.

"I saw it. But how is this all possible? Her eyes still shine silver," Mel muttered, her gaze flickering between Andrea and me. "Was there a Soul reinserted inside her?"

"Andrea," Andrew called out to her with a nod.

At first I thought she'd walk out of the room. Instead, she lifted her hands up to her eyes.

And popped out her contacts.

Ian shot out of his seat and muttered a guttural curse as he quickly stomped back towards the elevator. But when he was right in front of its doors, he abruptly stopped and shook his head. As he leaned onto the door with his well-toned arms outstretched in front of him, his labored breathing was an obvious sign he was battling to control his emotions.

On instinct, my body jerked forward and my feet started moving of its own accord towards him - one foot in front of the other, until I could get close enough to comfort him. It wasn't until I was almost halfway across the room when I faintly heard someone call out my name. I stopped in my tracks and looked over my shoulder to check who it was. I should have been surprised it was Mel, and not Andrew, who spoke. Her voice was low and hoarse; easily mistaken for a man's. But her voice wasn't always like that. It was only when she had been...crying.

"Wanda." Half expecting her to be looking at Andrea, I was once more surprised when her hazel eyes were locked on me instead. "Is that really you, my sister?"

I gave her a sheepish grin. "Only if you still want me to be, Mel. To be your sister, that is."

With a pleading look, she muttered, "How can I positively be sure it's you? I mean, the videos said it all but I want to make sure you really are the Wanda who was brave enough to give up her own life to give me back mine. I want to know if you are still the sister I've missed so much."

I pivoted around to face her. "You're the only one who can convince yourself that, Mel, no one else. But,-" I paused and glanced between her and Ian "-to help you out, maybe we could talk about it over some fries dipped in strawberry shakes? Everyone knows how much you love that stuff," I said with a wink.

She shot to her feet before Jared could hold her down again. In the blink of an eye, she raced across the room, threw her arms around my shoulders and cried. "You crazy, crazy, Soul! Why didn't you just say something?"

My own tears fell on her shoulders as I let out the pain, which I've tried to bury these past three weeks, consume my whole body. Through the sobs, I barely managed to croak out a simple, "Because…because you would never understand."

She slightly pulled back from me and frowned. "Give me more credit than that, Wanda. I'm stubborn, not entirely void of reason."

"Yeah...and I miss you so much too," I said, quickly changing the topic.

"Oh, you…" Mel pulled me into a tight hug again. "I missed you too."

Lost in the moment, I didn't even notice Andrew had made his way towards us, his expression grim.

With a voice barely louder than a whisper, he said, "Wanda, why don't you take Melanie back to your room downstairs so you two can catch up with each other. I'll take the rest with me to the hideout."

"It's not safe for her to be with me downstairs. The Hotel is packed for the season. Souls are everywhere!"

"And she will blend easily with them," he said in an assuring tone. "If Burns taught them all he knew these past weeks and they've managed to reach us here without any problems, a short trip to your room will be a walk in the park."

He reached inside his shirt pocket and handed Mel that familiar double-cylindrical container - contact cases. "Here, take these. And don't worry, they're new. All the humans here have to carry a set much like how your lot would carry a cyanide pill."

"Uhm...thanks, I guess. I've never worn contacts before so I'm not quite sure how to put these on," she said.

"It's still daylight out so, in the mean time, you can get away with wearing your sunglasses inside the Hotel. You have the whole night to practice putting them on. FYI, check under the sink of every bathroom. Right behind the toilet paper, you'll find a bottle of bleach with a black marker slashed across the lid. It's actually contact lens solution. We have to have those at the ready just in case we get unexpected visits from Seekers. Can't have them wondering why there's contacts solution everywhere."

"But what about Ian?" I interjected.

"If I remember him correctly, he'll need his space. Better to let him vent it out for a while." And before I could even ask, he added, "I'll make sure to keep Andrea away from him."

I shook my head. "No, I'm not worried about that."

_I shouldn't be worried about that, right? _So why do I have this constricting feeling around my chest that if those two do get together, something bad was going to happen? I immediately closed my mind from that picture. Whether I liked it or not, I knew their talk was inevitable. They both need it...at least for closure. Or what I pray would be closure.

But instead of expressing what I really felt, I ended up saying, "I just want to make sure you keep him safe. I ask this as a favor that you wouldn't be too hard on him. In return, consider us even in that department."

Andrew chuckled. "Only _you_ would consider something like that a favor. I would have done it regardless, Wanda. Despite it all, I still got love for that guy. I was just a bit...pissed - to put it mildly. Heck, from the story you told me about how he watched over both of you, I'd consider him a hero." Then he leaned in closer so only I could hear him, "But don't tell him I told you so. Better he thinks I'm still royally PO'd at him."

I smiled in spite of his comment. And before anything else was said, Mel grabbed my hand and yanked me towards the elevators. "C'mon, Wanda. We have a lot of catching up to do." Then after doing a once-over on me over her shoulder, she muttered, "Damn, you're tall."

"Not that much taller than you. Just a couple inches maybe," I said as I followed after her.

"Uh-huh. No more heels for you," she shot back.

When we got closer to the elevator, I stopped a few steps behind Ian. Even from this distance, I could already smell his deep scent of dark spices – such a wonderful blend that I would have given anything to be enveloped in. The taut lines of the muscles on his back rippled with every breath he took and it took all of my will power to keep me from wrapping my arms around his tight waist. Or at least to run my fingers through that soft, black hair of his until he moaned like he always did whenever I'd do it to him.

Mel caught my hand before it made contact with Ian's shoulder. She mouthed a quick '_No_' to me and implored me to keep my hands to myself for the time being. I wanted to pull away from her grip but thought better of it. Seems like my emotions were just as unstable as his for I've been tethered by the wrist ever since I came up here. I reluctantly pulled my hand back to my side.

As if Ian sensed we were close by, he immediately stilled. Then slowly raised his head in our direction. His once vibrant blue eyes were now pale when they landed on me. His mouth opened but no words came out. I opened mine and realized I couldn't say anything either. There was not a single word in the Merriam-Webster dictionary that could ease the tension of this moment.

I was scared of what his reaction might be if I said the wrong thing. _Would he receive me willingly? Or would he turn me away? _Right on this instant, I wanted to curse my decision for picking this body. Maybe he didn't like it. Maybe it even repulsed him. Maybe what he wanted was someone like...Andrea – sweet, lovely and fragile. A type of woman every man would kill to protect. But that wasn't who I was. Though this body was gorgeous beyond measure, I was nothing but strong-willed and over-protective of my family on the inside.

In effect, it was the fear of his rejection that really caused me to tremble. More so when his muscles tensed in response and his face transformed into a tight mask.

Our gazes were still locked on each other when the soft chime of the elevator doors opening broke the connection between us. Mel all but shoved me into the compartment.

"Wait!" Ian called out.

Mel put her hand out to stop him. "Don't, Ian. Get your emotions in check before you even think about talking to her. You've done enough damage already. Wanda, once again, sacrificed herself to be with you and you, once again, are acting like a complete and total idiot. You've seen the videos and yet you can't seem to accept what happened. I'm going with her and you better not follow us until you've cooled down." _Or finally decided who you wanted to be with_, I mentally heard her add that in the end.

Ian growled low in his throat. "I've got as much right to talk to her as you do, Melanie."

"Not if I can help it," she countered as she pressed the button to close the door on Ian's face.

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A/N (again): What do you all think of this version? Which one did you like better? Let me know. :) I can always bring back the other one if you liked that better. I just feel that this scenario was more realistic than the other one. That's just my two cents.

**I know a lot of you loved the previous chapter as it was so I'm real sorry to have to change it. **

**So...Love it, Hate it, 'Change it back!'. You know what to do. (Notice I didn't include 'Please update soon' LOL)**


	20. Andrea

**A/N: Happy 4****th**** of July, folks! I know, I know. I deserve to get firecrackers in my mailbox for taking too long to update. But let's not dwell on the negative, shall we? Let's all be happy that I finally managed to put up a 'proper' update. LOL**

**Thanks to the following people who said they preferred the revised Chapter 18 and 19. If not for their input, I wouldn't have been able to pull this out of my brain. So a great big hug go out to Ponypal95, Dilidilzz86, Dizzien, TeanIanandEdward, Moonlight16, mizDevine, boooky-true-false-identity, hotchadobsessed, bruna black, cellogirl, Te Amo XxxX and xXDreamWriterXx.**

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**Ian POV**

The water was hot against my skin to the point it was practically scalding. But I didn't mind it in the least. In fact, I embraced the heat even though it slowly burned my flesh raw. At least my brain wouldn't be the only thing that seemed fried at the moment.

And what a relief it would have been to have my mind taken off the blender for once...a blender that was probably left beside a wood burning furnace since the start of summer.

So much has happened the past couple months. Some of it bad, a lot of it good in some ways. And to think, it all started when Mel showed up at the caves. Since then, too many things were getting stacked on top of each other without a drain in the bottom to siphon some of it away. For my sanity's sake, I hope the day wouldn't come when I finally realize this cup was too damn full and decide to just dump the entire contents down the toilet. But of course, that only meant having to resort to drastic measures which I'm sure wouldn't bode too well with the others.

One bad judgment..._yeah, _that was apparently the entrance fee to get into this circus that was my life. If only I had dragged my sorry ass out of the cave and helped the three stooges pick a host for Wanda, maybe all of this would have been circumvented.

Then again, destiny has its way of dragging you into their backseat – blindfolded, gagged and bound – and dumping you at an address of their choosing. Consider yourself lucky if you ended up somewhere good. But if you didn't tip their drivers well enough, chances are they'll drop you in the middle of nowhere while you watch them hightail it out of there with your luggage still in the trunk.

Life was sadistic like that. You can kick and scream and curse the high heavens until your voice ran out. It still wouldn't change what's in front of you. Destiny has long since turned a deaf ear on humanity's so-called 'free will'. The roads may differ but the destination would always be the same. Maybe Wanda was never meant to have Andrea as her host. Or maybe – _shit_ – she was never meant to be with me. After all the attempts we've done to keep her here, one would think we'd have taken the hint already.

In retrospect, I can just keep on wondering if things would've been different if I'd chosen to go with them that night. Although I already knew we'd eventually end up here anyway. Dwelling on the 'what ifs' would not only be futile, but would totally be a moot point at the moment.

Back at the Penthouse, my brain had been the equivalent of a freshly cooked scrambled egg. I couldn't understand what I was feeling - things were all jumbled up, emotions ran amuck, words were thrown around like confetti during a ticker tape parade. Everything was a blur for the most part; the rest were already filtered away from my memory.

And right there at the end...

How I wished there was a wall hard enough to bang my head into. As thick as my skull is, I'd need something more impenetrable than mere dry wall to get some sense knocked into me.

Dammit. Dammit. Just plain _dammit_.

Maybe if I broke down everything that happened, I might be able to make some sense out of all that chaos.

_Andrea was back.  
__Wanda has another host.  
__I kissed Andrea...thinking it was Wanda.  
__In front of Wanda.  
__And my old roommate just might commit first-degree murder because of me._

Then again, I guess maybe not.

Regardless, the only thing that really lingered on me was the terrified look on that woman's face as she stood petrified outside the elevator doors. That woman..._my _Wanda.

It wasn't that I didn't believe it was Wanda inside that Host at all. Far from it, actually. Thing was, my body already recognized her even before my mind barely registered it. When she was finally close enough to touch, it took all of my will power to keep my hands to myself. God only knew how much I had to restrain myself from pulling her into my arms and holding her tight until our bodies melded into one.

_Hell, _even if that beautiful face was covered in a mask of fear, she was still absolutely breathtaking. Heaven sent, most likely. She had long, multicolored hair that was pulled up into a loose ponytail; the rest of her features complemented a face that didn't need any help from Adobe's products to be improved. Her natural beauty was already utter perfection. And those silver-lined aquamarine eyes...nothing I've ever seen before. Despite all that, what struck me the most was the expression behind that facade - the fear, the sadness, the regret. Mostly, the regret.

And when I look into those eyes, straight at the Soul inside her, I can see all of that as clear as day. _Was it because she regretted she knew me_? _Regret to have ever been 'in love' with me_? Probably sick as hell too after witnessing me make out with Andrea right in front of her. Granted, I didn't know she changed hosts on us but that wasn't excuse enough to make the hurt go away. I don't blame her if she hated my guts right now. Man, I couldn't even stand to be in my own skin right now. How many more sacrifices would she have to endure just to stay with me – just because I wanted her to? How many more times was I going to allow her to get hurt by my own selfish actions?

She had left me for a reason. Time and distance does not equal the fact that things were still torn between us. And it had all been my fault. Melanie was right. Idiots like me simply didn't deserve angels like her.

And that was why I stood here, under the blazing heat of this hot shower, desperately wishing to be someone else.

A knock on my door brought me out of my mulling.

"Ian, are you in here?" came a muffled voice from outside my room.

Who the hell is still awake at this godforsaken hour? What time was it anyway? Three o'clock? Four? Nah...it felt more like five o'clock to this body. I grudgingly turned off the shower and called out, "Who's there?"

"It's, _um_...it's just me. Can we talk?"

"Yeah." _I guess._ "Just give me a sec," I called out gruffly from the bathroom. I grabbed the towel that hung on the shower rod and haphazardly patted myself dry. The voice outside was female. Could it...be? Hoping that _'me' _was Wanda, I rushed to the door as I wrapped the towel quickly around my waist.

Still dripping wet, I flung the door open and...

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**Wanda POV**

After the countless hours playing catch up with Melanie, I was still left so hollow inside. It's true that I've missed all our sisterly conversations that usually ended with either of us laughing hysterically or crying until our tear ducts bled out. More so how I've missed the fact that the two of us can just be there and talk about everything and absolutely nothing all at the same time.

And though I love her to death and had taken solace in every minute we've spent talking to each other, my heart simply was somewhere else tonight – or was it the next day already? Automatically, I checked the glowing green numbers that shone from the alarm clock on my nightstand. Yup, _five o'clock in the morning. _

The yawn that escaped my mouth must've been the telltale sign of the lateness of the hour. And since we were both stretched out on top of the bed next to each other – our heads propped up comfortably on pillows – it was hard not to slip easily into the land of sleep.

"I'm keeping you up, aren't I?" Mel asked as soon as my mouth closed. "I could never tell the hour anymore, y'know? Traveling in the van for the majority of the raid is seriously messing up my internal clock."

I waved it off. "No, don't worry about it. I sometimes take the night shifts at the Front Desk so the time is not the issue. It's just been a stressful day all around and I guess my body is finally recognizing it."

"About that," she paused. "Tell me why you picked this host? I mean...don't get me wrong, your body is banging in all the right places. It's just that – it's nothing like the host we imagined you would've wanted for yourself."

"It's nothing like Andrea, you mean?" I asked, turning my head to face her.

She shrugged against the duvet. "Well, I guess you can put it that way."

I smiled wryly at her before I stood up from the bed and strode toward the dresser where a large oval mirror was suspended on the wall right above it. Leaning against the top drawer, I gazed at my reflection and spoke softly, "You'll be surprised at the _why's_ of it."

"As long as it wasn't with the intention of running for Miss America, I don't think you could surprise me much," she said as I saw her, from the reflection on the mirror, prop herself up on her elbows to look at me.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "No, it's nothing like that. In truth, I liked it when you were my host. Not the part about trapping you inside me though," I quickly added. "I liked being strong. Fast. Able. When I was inside Andrea, I couldn't help but feel so weak and useless. I felt like an old woman trapped inside a child's body."

Mel fully sat up on the bed. "We're still terribly sorry about that, y'know."

I shook my head. "It's not your fault. Nor was it Ian's. None of you should ever think that. Actually, the fault was all mine. I had given all of you reason to believe that's what I had wanted. But, no. None of it was true. Remember the last tribunal we had? The one that would've decided my fate in the caves?"

Mel cringed at the memory. "You lied for me then. You told them I wanted my body back."

"Tell me now if that was really a lie."

She didn't respond.

"That's what I thought," I said smugly.

"So what about the tribunal?" she said, quickly returning to the topic at hand.

I sighed. "All those reasons I spurted out about trust - how I wouldn't be able to trust myself inside another host - were all lies just to force everyone to see there really was no other option in regards to me staying in this planet. That's why you, Jaime and Jared went out to find the most innocent-looking host, thinking that's what worried me the most in taking in another one. Jaime also wanted someone who looked angelic to suit my personality. My heart may be pure but there's something to be said about looking like a child.

I want Ian to see me as a woman. Not as a little girl who needed protection and constant supervision."

"But there's more to that, isn't there?" Mel prompted.

Reluctantly, I nodded. "Andrea also wants to fight me for Ian's affection."

"That bitch!" she cursed.

I almost jumped out of my skin.

"Sorry," she blushed. "That was just the redneck in me."

I stifled a laugh. "What I meant with that is - because she wants to get Ian back, I didn't want to make it easy for her to do so." And now it was my turn to blush. "That's why I had to pick someone prettier and sexier than Andrea. I had to find ways to increase the odds in my favor," I admitted.

"You're right...I sure didn't see that one coming. But leave it up to you to fight dirty," she smirked as she got up from the bed to stand behind me. She reached over and rested her hands on my shoulders. "But your fear is all for nothing, Wanda. Ian loves you. So much that he practically crossed the line to insanity already."

I shifted my gaze away from the mirror. "I don't know about that anymore, Mel. Ever since I told him Andrea came back three weeks ago, he's been different around me. You saw his face when he was looking at me. That wasn't the face of someone who you say loves me like that anymore."

"Like I said, Ian's crazy," she smiled. "But I'm sure he's simply confused right now. They're men, for crying out loud. They can never think straight when it comes to women." Then her voice became serious. "Everything will be fine, Wanda. Our men, Neanderthals as they are, will always find a way to come back to us."

With my back still to her, I murmured softly, "I hope so too."

"Speaking of men," she said, her tone becoming candid again. "I'd better get back to Jared before that overprotective oaf sends out a search party for me. I'm actually surprised he hasn't yet. Would you have an idea where they're at?"

"Sort of. Andrew said he was taking them to the hideout, which would be the Thirteenth floor. But there are over fifty rooms in there. Let me make a quick call to Central and check what room they've been given," I said as I went to sit back down on the bed, next to the nightstand where the phone and the alarm clock were within an arms reach from where I slept.

"Sweet. You do that while I try those contacts on. I have a strange feeling I'd be wrestling with my eyelids to get them to stay put," she mused while fishing for the case in her back pockets.

I picked up the receiver and pressed 0#. In any other hotel, '0' would have directed me straight to the Operator. In this case, the extra '#' triggers the hidden surveillance camera inside the room before I'd be patched through to the Central Operations Room - aptly referred to as 'the Core'. Whether I pressed that extra button on accident or not, the folks over there wanted to exercise as much caution before answering calls that lead straight to them. That was why the surveillance cameras got activated first. They also doubled as a silent 'Panic' button in case anything happens inside the rooms. But if anyone at the Core wished to, they can still turn it on remotely from their end.

I only got to two rings.

"_Wanda?_" a familiar voice answered.

"Hi, Rob. Yeah, it's me. Sorry to bother you at such a late hour."

"Well, if it isn't my favorite girl. What's doing, babe? Haven't talked to you in a long time. I was beginning to think you were purposely ignoring me."

"Uh...just been keeping myself busy, Rob," I stammered, suddenly feeling a bit awkward. "Listen, I was just wondering if you could tell me what room my friends are staying at. Melanie would like to get back to them now."

"Sure. But tell me something first."

"What?" I wondered.

"Why didn't you take the yoga instructor position when Blaze and Paige offered it to you? They said you were a natural!"

I sighed. "You already know I'm not here permanently. I have to go back. Better sooner than later."

"Says who?" he retorted. "Your _boyfriend_?"

"No, Rob. Me."

"Why? Don't you like it here with us, Wanda?" His voice was almost pleading. An ache started to form in my chest when I briefly imagined having to say goodbye.

"Of course I do. All of you have been so wonderful to me. But I have to go back. It's just...I _have_ to go back."

"But you really don't want to. I can hear the strain in your voice when you say it. You want to-"

"-know the room number, Rob," I cut in before this conversation took a turn for the worse. "Please."

"Fine. Whatever." After a long pause, he finally said, "Jared's in Room 1310. Your alter ego is in the next room over."

"Thank you. You really are a sweetheart, you know that?"

"So I've been told," he said sarcastically. "And _um_...Wanda?"

"Yes?"

"Andrea's there with him."

I felt my hand tighten on the receiver and my knuckles were starting to turn white. My whole body stiffened as a cold dread went down my spine. _No_...

When I didn't answer, Rob added, "Don't worry, they're just talking. Nothing's doing. I tried to listen in but got bored with all the yada yada yada."

"Thanks for letting me know. Bye, Rob," I quickly said. The receiver was already halfway to its cradle when I faintly heard him say, "Tell him to put some clothes on, will you?"

He was in his room. Alone with her. N-naked?

"What's wrong, Wanda?" Mel was standing right outside the bathroom with a worried expression on her face. Her eyes...

I shook my head. "It's nothing."

"Right. Nothing doesn't make you do a death grip on the sheets. I know that look right there. Something's up and you better spill. You may be taller than me but I can still wrestle the information out of your mouth. So start talking, sistah!"

My breath caught when I answered. "Andrea is there in Ian's room. They're just talking. Nothing...to...worry." Right there at the end, my voice started to quiver, revealing the lie I was telling myself.

"Like hell, nothing's wrong. I say we go up there and punch that little bitch square in the nose!"

"No." As much as I wanted to intrude in their little talk, I knew in the back of my mind that this was the conversation I knew was due to them. They both needed this. Life owed it to them. And it wasn't my right to take it away from them at all. But what comes out of it in the end...

Is what was meant to be.

"No," I repeated, with more force this time. "If Ian wants to talk to her, that's his choice. I am not about to rush in there with my fists leading the way." Especially if they were locked in each other's arms and doing things that lovers did underneath the sheets. I would be better off without the visual. I've since learned the consequences of barging into something that wasn't meant for me to see.

"God, you're such a pushover," Mel exclaimed in exasperation.

"I think there are nicer terms for that."

"I know. I just don't want to use them right now."

I rolled my eyes at her. "You ready to go?" I asked. Pushing myself off the bed, I was mildly surprised my legs didn't buckle from the weight I was carrying.

She returned the gesture. "I guess. But I'm not gonna promise you that I would be as nice when it comes to her. I ain't the forgiving type."

"Yeah, I would know..." I muttered.

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**Ian POV**

"Andrea?"

"Hey," she squeaked. Her head was bent low, cheeks flushed, apparently ashamed to meet my gaze.

Oh... Probably had something to do with the fact that I was half-naked. _Shit. _

As I waited for my traitorous member to betray me yet again, I swiveled the door halfway shut to keep her from looking at my non-clothes; relieved when it stayed limp. I wasn't surprised I didn't react that same way to her anymore. Wanda alone had that affect on me. And by god, how my body had already known it then.

She finally glanced back up when she heard the creaking of the door.

Her bright, gray eyes met me straight on. "Can we talk," she asked again. There was no subterfuge, no artifice hidden behind her guileless voice and that innocent-looking face. Yet I was skeptical.

"Talk?" I glanced back at the clock beside the bed. "At three o'clock in the morning? Isn't it kinda late?" And I wasn't only talking about the time. More talking can't fix something that's been broken beyond repair.

She didn't take the hint. "You're awake, aren't you?"

"Not by much," I responded.

"Please?"

I exhaled in resignation. "Fine," I mumbled as I fully opened the door to let her in.

As soon as it closed, she spun around and faced me.

I crossed my arms around my bare chest and leaned against the door. "You want to talk? So, talk. You have five minutes. I don't care if you and your brother own this place, five minutes is all you're getting."

"I'm sorry," she started to say.

I stopped her right there. "You should know that 'sorry' doesn't quite cut it anymore."

"If you're talking about deceiving you back there, then no. That's not what I'm sorry about."

"Then for what?"

For a second, she seemed unsure of what to say. The she lifted her chin up and said, "For not telling you the real reason why I invited you to our cabin that summer."

"What?" Now she got my attention.

She strode over to the bed and sat down at the edge. Rubbing her hands against her thighs, she said, "I already knew of the invasion back then. I've known about it for a while. Only because Daveena, my personal maid - well, I prefer to call her my guardian - was a Soul."

Now my jaw dropped.

She continued speaking without once glancing in my direction.

"She loved me. Loved me like her own daughter. She was there for me from the time of my birth until I went off to college. Even then, she still remained as my personal maid for reasons I sometimes didn't understand. But she always stayed, watching over me.

One day, she came home from her day off and had started acting a bit weird. Well, not entirely weird, just a little off since she's always been this kindhearted Soul – no pun intended. I didn't think much of it then. I just noticed the extra shine in her eyes but she brushed it off saying it's always been there.

It was around that time we started going out when she eventually told me."

Andrea closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Believe me when I tell you, it wasn't the easiest thing to stomach. I don't know how I came to accept it but I did. Deep down I knew, if she had wanted to turn me in as a Host, she would have done so the day she came back with that starry look in her eyes. It had been because of how much Daveena loved me that Cloud Spinner, the Soul inside her, had grown to love me as well. That's why I was spared.

Contrary to what you all think of me now, I was easy to love and wasn't always as bitter as...as ex-girlfriends went. I am jaded now for a reason."

As much as I didn't want to believe her, it was true. I had loved her before. And from what I knew then, it had been the easiest thing for me to do. But as this moment, I couldn't find myself to tell her that.

"She was the one who suggested I took you to the cabin for the summer. The Souls, and Seekers, were growing in numbers and it was getting dangerous to be caught alone. I was planning on telling you the moment I got you safely to the cabin.

But when you didn't show up..."

"I didn't have a choice, okay?" I practically yelled. "Kyle found out about the invasion the same day I was supposed to head out and he all but dragged me by the collar and dumped me in the back of his car. He wouldn't let me go despite all my threats to end his life."

My blood was already seething when a thought came to mind and I had to catch myself. _Damn_. Destiny had come in the form of Kyle. How fucked up was that?

I forced my voice to remain calm. "I tried calling you but kept getting your voicemail; figured the cabin must be miles from the nearest cell site. So I waited for you to call..."

"But I never did," she finished for me. "Only to protect you. It was the same reason why I had to turn my phone off. The Souls had already taken over the phone companies. If your calls had gone through, they would've easily traced your call and found out where we both were. They targeted those whose red dots on their maps glowed separate from others. I didn't want to risk it."

"So you simply hoped I'd be alright."

"No. I prayed Kyle would do exactly what he did. And keep you safe," she corrected.

"Did it never occur to you that I would've wanted to save you too?"

This time, she fell silent. Her silence meant that it never even crossed her mind.

I pressed on. "If you already knew of the invasion, why didn't you go and warn Andrew first instead of making me your priority?"

"Andrew's bodyguard, Dances-With-Wolves, was already a Soul. But Andrew didn't know it then. Wolf was about to hand him over to the Souls when Cloud Spinner got to Wolf first and was able to convince him not to."

"So, what happened to you? With Cloud Spinner's protection, how come you still ended up becoming a Host?"

Instead of answering, she looked away and let silence fill the room. The answer mustn't be good for it took her a good solid minute before she finally spoke up. I braced myself for her answer, somehow dreading to find out.

"I waited for two months. Never dared set foot outside the cabin. Until one day, I decided I couldn't take it any longer."

"_God_, no. Please tell me you didn't." My voice was barely more than a whisper.

She let out a soft laugh. "Like it matters anyway. The alternative was even less desirable."

"At least you would've been alive."

"But not in the sense that matters," she countered.

She was right. What I felt when I thought I'd lost Wanda was simply the tip of the iceberg compared to what she'd had to endure. As if I already didn't feel like crap with what I'd done to Wanda, adding this just confirmed the fact that not only was I a bonafide idiot, I had been a total asshole. Correction...that shouldn't even be a past tense.

"You know what hurts the most, Ian?"

As if I didn't already know.

"It wasn't because you and Wanda did all those things with my body. In truth, I was actually glad that, at least, it had been you. I lost my virginity to someone I meant to give it to in the first place so it wasn't all that bad. Although I can keep convincing myself that that was the case, that doesn't compare to the real pain that I carry.

What actually hurts is standing so close to you and not being able to touch you, knowing you would recoil the moment I did; seeing you only to realize I'm still invisible in your eyes; loving you when your heart already beats for someone else.

The moment Petals-Open-To-The-Moon was inserted inside me, I was technically frozen in my state - head-over-heels in love with you even though I was broken. So when you and Wanda unknowingly woke me up, it was as if nothing had changed within me. Except, everyone else had moved on.

And I was left pining for something that couldn't be mine again."

"Is that why you hate Wanda so much?"

Her mouth curled up on one side, revealing the dimple on her chin. "I won't lie to you and say that I didn't at first. Try waking up and finding out the Soul inside you loved the same person you did. But yeah, instead of going medieval on her, I opted to ignore her. And when she decided to take on another host, I admit that I told her, flat out, she'd never have you. So when I saw you and your friends in the elevator, I made sure to get to you before she did."

"You said '_at first_'? What changed?" I had to ask.

"When you were holding me close at the Penthouse," she paused, as if she was relieving the moment. "-it was clear that the love I saw coming out of you wasn't for me. And no matter how much I tried to sway you, you were steadfast in your choice. Right then and there, I knew I no longer had a place in your heart. I promised myself that as long as I still had a chance with you, I would always fight. But clearly that isn't the case anymore. I know you're confused with what Wanda did but that'll soon pass. Only because you know she did it for you. And…"

Her voice trailed off and it seemed as though she could no longer continue. This strong, confident woman in front of me was broken beyond repair. Worse, none of it was her fault even if it had been her choice.

Against my better judgment, I sat beside her and pulled her against my shoulder. If this was a ploy of hers to get me to touch her, it didn't matter. Regardless of it all, she still deserved to have someone comfort her. This was the least I could do for what I'd put her through those many years ago.

She didn't pull back. She didn't lean in closer or reached out to touch me either. She remained as she was even when her weeping turned to silent tears. This wasn't an act. And how did I know that? She never could pass for an actress.

"And," she said again when her sobs began to subside. "-Wanda had done it for my brother. He thought he lost me and she didn't even hesitate to give up her Host. She didn't know the people here yet she trusted them with her life. And that's why I hated her. I was jealous of what she had. More so, how she would easily give it all up just to save someone else. Where my actions got me nowhere, her same sacrifice earned her the guy and the affection of everyone here. And now I know I have to change that about me. Until then, I don't deserve even your sympathy.

That's why I had to come to you tonight. Not to push you further or to try to win you back."

She lifted her head up and removed the hand I placed over her shoulder. Swiping a hand over her eyes, she said, "I came to say 'goodbye'."

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**A/N (again): 'Love it', 'Hate it', 'Change it' or….okay, fine 'Update Soon'. Let me know. ;)**

**Just wondering…if I edited Chapter 6: First Night and took out the explicit sex scene, would this fanfic pass for a 'T'-rating? Or is all the cursing and sexual suggestions too much for it? **

**Also, if you can take the time, Cherry Tulips and I have set up a Facebook page called: "Sean Faris To Play Ian O'Shea? Whaa..HELL YEAH!" To check it out, just type that in the FB Search bar and you'll be directed to the page right away. I'd like to put the link here but FF hates links. Go figure.**


	21. Crossroads

**A/N: Confession – I admit, I was being lazy this time. Summer sorta has that effect on me. ;)**

**Anyway...many, many thanks again to all the wonderful people who stayed indoors, booted their computers, then read and reviewed my story despite the many temptations of summer. I love you all! So...big hugs to oohapoo, Ponypal95, Dizzien, booky-true-false-identity, xXDreamWriterXx, moonlight16, cellogirl, megs was here, WriterFlower, shadowangel95, 9ud9ir190ne6ad, cOn Bites, Paige and desirable69.**

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**Wanda POV**

Mel and I stepped out of the room in silence. She wore her contacts confidently and pulled off the I've-got-a-Soul-in-me look so perfectly that it made me wonder if she actually did. But then again, we all knew she's had enough practice on the matter. It just makes me happy to see her adjusting so well to the environment here. Through her eyes, I can see some semblance of hope for the future. A hope that maybe, someday, both sides would find a way to live peacefully together without fear of the other one trying to eradicate the other while they slept.

_Ian was in his room. Alone with her. Naked._

The hallway was relatively quiet and void of inhabitants strolling around. Which was understandable considering it was only five o'clock in the morning. Most were either still asleep or just waking up for the day. Perfect time to head to the Penthouse.

I had changed into my concierge uniform in preparation for my shift today. Even with my friends being here, I couldn't just abandon my duties like that. I have to at least make sure a proper replacement would be put in place rather than just up and leave without a word. It wouldn't be fair to Andrew at all. Or the people who depended on me and my duties in this Hotel. Like my role, even though it is rather small, a single missing cog in a watch will hinder the whole from operating properly. And that's how all of us came to respect the importance of each individual here. Much like how the Souls operated too. No job was considered more important than the other. This was true equality.

_Ian was in his room. Alone with her. Naked._

The elevator ride to the Penthouse seemed longer than usual. I only noticed so when I realized I'd started counting the dents on the metal doors in front of me. Forty-three – some deep, others barely grazed the surface. There was also a long black gash along the bottom. Maybe from the countless luggages that banged against it. I should notify housekeeping.

_Ian was in his room. Alone with her. Naked._

What is the square root of pi? 1.77245385. How about...

_Ian was in his room. Alone with her. Naked._

"ARGH!" I growled, rubbing the sides of my temples as I tried to force the image away.

"I was wondering when you'd finally crack," Mel said matter-of-factly while watching me from the corner of her eye. "Can't get the visual out of your mind, huh?"

"How did you know?" I asked sourly, wondering how she knew about the images.

With a sympathetic smile, she explained, "As nice as you are, your body will never betray the emotion of jealousy. You can deny it all you want but your hormones will always dictate your body's reaction. But I guess that's the difference between the humans and Souls. Your kind tries to suppress it; we, on the other hand, prefer to act on it."

"And how do humans act on it?"

She hesitated before answering. "You sure you want to know?"

I nodded once.

"Let's just say, it's one of the reasons that got us into this situation in the first place. While some are strong enough to exhibit more restraint than others, the majority are just plain weaklings. I count myself on the latter; as you probably realized when you were still inside me."

Yeah. I remember feeling that same emotion from her when Jared touched me. I cringed at the memory of such hatred that flowed from her. I could still feel the sting on our knuckles as if she only punched Jared yesterday.

"So what can I do now? I try not to think about it but every time I attempt to distract myself, it always resurfaces with a vengeance. How can I control it without going mad from it?" I implored.

"I'm probably not the best person to give any advice on the matter. But-" she glanced at me before continuing "-seeing as how you're about to give yourself a brain aneurysm, I have no choice but to relent. I do warn you that it's not gonna be pretty."

"I would do anything at the moment. Right now, my imagination is running too wild for my liking. I'm sure they're just talking but I can't seem to shake this feeling that something else more-" I gulped "-intimate is going down."

"Knowing that leech, I wouldn't be surprised."

I scowled at her. "You didn't have to agree with me, y'know." Hearing it from Melanie made the images even more possible. And it caused me to become more anxious and a whole lot of paranoid. I really didn't like this feeling at all.

"I know. I just can't help stating the obvious," she said with a knowing grin. "Anyway, as I was saying, one way to combat that wretched feeling is to fight fire with fire."

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion. "What has fire got to do with this?"

"It's a phrase meaning to respond to an attack by using a similar method as one's attacker. In this case, make him jealous. Make him seethe with jealousy like what he's doing to you now. Let him feel the pain of the burn."

"I'm not sure I know how to do that. Frankly, I'm not sure I'd want to do it either," I admitted.

She shrugged. "Well, I told you it wouldn't be pretty. But it's up to you. All you can do, I guess, is just believe in your heart. Listen to what it's telling you. I know it is cliché and all but it works most of the time. You won't feel the regret in the aftermath knowing you did just that."

Before anything more could be said, the familiar 'ding' announced our arrival into the Penthouse.

"Finally," Mel muttered. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who noticed how long the ride was.

I led her to the Master's Bedroom. Instead of going straight for the bookcase where the hidden elevator was located, I moved towards the far side of the bed where an antique phone - it looked more like a piece of art than an actual phone, I must say - rested on the nightstand.

"I don't have the transponder to activate the secret lift that'll take us straight to the hideout. I'll need to put in a call to the Core." _Again_. I dreaded having to speak to Rob one more time today. Sometimes, one was just enough when it came to him. I love him to death as a friend but he sure knows how to make a girl feel uncomfortable.

And thank goodness for small favors, it was Wolf who answered the call.

"Hey, Wanda. Rob mentioned you guys might be coming over. Andrew is on his way up there," he said as soon as our lines got connected.

I waved to the camera that was hidden by the vent on the far corner above the phone. "Thanks, Wolf. I'll see you in a bit."

"And about time too! I was getting tired of checking you ou-...I mean, checking up on you through the surveillance cameras only. It's about time we get to see you in the flesh again."

Was it just me or was everyone else trying to hit on me today? Or was I just losing my mind?

"Um, thank you." I quickly returned the receiver to its cradle before he would go on with that conversation.

A second later, the grand bookcase slid open to reveal Andrew on the other side. I pulled Mel with me and we immediately made our way towards him.

"You rang?" Andrew quipped as soon as we stepped into the lift.

I gave him a warm smile. "Yes, we did. And thank you."

"Anytime," he said as he inclined his head to Mel. "Looks good on you. The contacts, I mean."

She chuckled. "So this is what Wanda looked like when I was her Host. I've always wondered how celebrities got that Hollywood sheen in their eyes. Now I know. Well, sort of at least." Then to me, she added, "We were looking good, huh, Wanda?"

I smiled in spite of myself. "Not as much as you do right now. The huge scar on the right side of my face and the bruises on my neck weren't the best of accessories to be wearing then," I chided.

She cocked an eyebrow at me.

It took me a moment to realize what I had said and immediately chastised myself for the tactlessness of it. "I'm sorry," I blurted out. "I wasn't thinking."

She brushed it off. "It's no big deal. I've already cried a river over it, built a bridge and gotten past it. I was simply surprised you're able to joke about it too."

"Like you said, it's water under the bridge."

"So what are you girls up to today?" Andrew interjected.

Today? Speaking of, "Are we heading home today?" I asked Melanie.

She shook her head and glanced back at Andrew, "If it's okay with you, we'd like to stay for a day more or so. I have a feeling Jared would want to know as much as he can about this place and figure out how your cell is managing all this. If I'm not mistaken, he's probably building up a plan on how to get everyone out of the caves and be immersed into civilization again."

Just then, we reached the Thirteenth Floor and the doors opened to reveal a hallway that was, once again, void of people.

"Stay as long as you like. Any friends of Wanda's are friends of mine," he said as he held the elevator doors open for us to go through. Then he leaned in closer to me and whispered in a chiding tone, "Except maybe, Ian."

I shook my head at him before stepping out. "You are so awful."

Good thing Mel was a few paces ahead of me and she wasn't able to notice our little exchange.

I waited for Andrew to follow us but he remained where he was. When I was about to ask him why, he supplied, "You girls go ahead. I need to do some maintenance on the control panel here. It's time for the monthly change in access codes. Kind of a bitch but necessary, nonetheless."

I smiled back at him. "Okay. Thanks again for the ride."

He gave me a mock salute before he reached in and pressed the 'Emergency' button to render the elevator unusable for the time being.

I led Mel down the North corridor towards the wing where Jared and Ian were staying. We walked in silence so as not to disturb any of the other occupants while they slept. It wasn't long before we were in front of Jared's room. Mel knocked on the door with a Morse code type of sequence which I was pretty sure was their kind of pass code.

True enough, Jared didn't even call out to ask who was outside his door. He simply yanked it open and...

Gaped at the two of us. I briefly caught a hint of horror cross his face before he discreetly shook his head and reached out to pull Mel into a tight hug. If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn his mind was flashing glimpses of the time she was still a Host. I wouldn't blame him. Though it felt like ages ago, it had only been mere months since it all started. The emotional wounds might have healed but the scar was still visible for everyone to see. Because that scar was me.

"I...need...air, you big lug," she gasped. "I know you take my breath away but you didn't have to take it literally."

Jared loosened his hold but only to reprimand her. "Where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick not knowing where you were."

Mel managed to pull away from him. "You knew where I was so stop worrying like an old lady. Gray hair and a surly attitude is so not my type."

He cocked a brow at her. "And what _is_ your type?"

She shrugged as if the answer didn't matter. "Depends what day it is. Sometimes it's Brad Pitt, other days it's Ryan Reynolds. Hugh Jackman comes to mind every now and then. God, that body. I could lick that lollipop up for days. And of course, there's Leo. But only when he was in Titanic. I could care less about his other movies."

Jared growled low in his throat. "Keep talking like that and I might have to make sure to keep you in this room and do things to you that'll make you forget you even knew them."

"Is that a threat, Mr. Howe?" she purred.

I cleared my throat before Jared got a chance to answer. Who knows what his response to that would have been? One thing's for sure, I definitely had no intention of finding out. "I'd say, 'Get a room, you two' but since you're actually _in_ your room already, I guess I'll just make myself leave."

Jared glanced in my direction. "Oh. Hey...Wanda," he said with obvious hesitation. His mouth remained open like he wanted to say something more but couldn't find the right words at the moment.

"Hey...Jared," I mimicked. I cast a fleeting look at Ian's room before glancing back at them. "I...um...I'll see you guys later?" It was more of a question than a statement.

Mel gave me a sincere smile while Jared merely nodded.

"Later," she called out over her shoulder as Jared quickly, but softly, shut the door behind them. Either he was suspicious of me - which was likely the case - or, he was just too eager to get inside Melanie's pants and pull through with his threat. I suspected it was more of the latter.

As I stood outside their door, I debated whether I should go and check on Ian or head back downstairs. I decided it would be best to simply go to work and allow him his space. But instead, my body - and especially my feet - had a mind of their own and I found myself suddenly walking in the direction of his room.

I barely caught myself before my knuckles made contact with the wooden door. The images I was trying to suppress suddenly came barreling to the forefront of my consciousness and I had to step back to clear them from my mind.

_They're just talking. Nothing's doing._  
_They're just talking. Nothing's doing._

I kept repeating Rob's words to myself to help erase the images but all it did was make matters worse. Everything became more graphic as I remembered what Ian could do to that body; especially with that naughty tongue of his. Heat instantly traveled through me as I recalled the intense pleasure he gave me as he kissed and licked me while I was still in that Host. And whenever he went south...

Pounding my head with the bunt of my wrists, I forced the thoughts away. My imagination was clearly having a field day with my emotions. With all the effort I could muster, I spun around and ran for the elevator.

Just as I rounded the corner, his door opened and voices emerged from his room. I froze where I stood. Wondering if they suspected I was there, I glanced behind me and immediately breathed a sigh of relief when all I could see were the white walls that stretched out beside me.

With curiosity getting the best of me, I leaned against the wall and cocked my head to the direction of the sound. I held my breath even though I was barely able to breathe.

Andrea's angelic voice drifted down the hallway. "Thank you, Ian. For everything."

For...everything? What in the entire galaxy were they doing? Had they been...? _Bitte keine,_ I muttered in this Host's native tongue.

"No. I should be the one thanking you," Ian countered. "I'm glad you came. I think we both needed it."

No. No, no, no. This is not happening. Did he just thank her for the (I really didn't want to think about it) wonderful sex they just had? Was that what they both needed – a night together to get it out of their system and to finally return to where they'd left off years ago? Did Rob lie to me when he said they were merely talking?

No. I refused to believe it. Ian wouldn't do that to me, c_ould he_?

Wanting to prove myself right, I leaned in to steal a peak at the two of them. Then wished I hadn't. What I saw made my stomach turn and my heart – already shattered to pieces, as it was – grind itself to dust.

Andrea had her arms wrapped tightly around Ian's bare waist, his towel clinging at the hips. The corded muscles that graced his entire back was flushed with, what I assumed, the afterglow of the encounter they just shared. His strong arms were wrapped around her as that warm, callused hand gently stroked the fine silk of her hair.

Gathering what little dignity I had left, I closed my eyes and walked away.

What Ian and I had was a train wreck to begin with. All along, I've known we weren't meant to be together. A Soul can never be with a human. It was as simple as that. It defied logic, it even defied science. And yet I had hoped to prove them wrong. Once again, it was me who was proven to be an idiot.

Seeing Andrea and Ian together, without artifice to cloud their actions this time, finally opened my eyes to what I've been deluding myself for so long. Those two belonged to each other. Humans belonged to each other. Souls, like me, were the rain in their parade; the blemish in their life's perfect complexion. I was finally the parasite I've feared myself to be.

No matter how much I convinced myself that I loved him, it'll never be enough. Because in the end, it'll never be right. He deserves someone just like him; not a six-inch parasite like me.

Was this the cosmos' version of a wakeup call? Probably so. I definitely needed to get some sense knocked into me. I've been infatuated and stupid for so long. Mostly stupid. I already foresaw this even before my reinsertion into this Host. I simply refused to accept it. It had taken me the sight of two people intertwined together like the perfect couple they appeared to be for me to realize the mistake I was making in trying to keep them apart.

Ian would be bringing Andrea back with them to the caves and it would've been the better choice for everyone involved. The people there already knew the body and acquiescing wouldn't be a problem for her. In truth, they would probably welcome her more now than if I was still inside her. And that's what really stung. If it was already hard for my friends to accept my decision, what more for those who didn't consider me worthy of being alive? They would extract me the first chance they'd get.

To heck with cliché. If I truly followed my heart, I'd have already known to let him go. It was pointless to keep on fighting when there was no opponent to begin with. This battle was over before it even started. It was time I hung my gloves and walked away.

And walked away, I did.

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**A/N (again): Love it, Hate it, Meh it or Update soon. Please let me know. :)**

**So the Host movie is being delayed. Booo! That is not good at all!**

**By the way, what do y'all think about a sequel for this story? I may have an idea but I don't know if it's good enough to make it into an entirely different one. Or maybe I'll just extend this. I dunno. I'm rambling...too much caffeine sometimes have that effect on me.**


	22. Distractions

**A/N: Thank you so much to the wonderful humans out there who had enough Soul in them to leave me a review. So to the following, I say **_**'Brightest sun, longest day'**_**: desirable69, cOn Bites, Dilidilzz86, Dizzien, tIgErPrN06, Ponypal95, MyBell, TeamIanandEdward, The Noxpert, BlackBerry LV, booky-true-false-identity, cellogirl, oohapoo, jackiebyard, LHNgirl22, Holding Infinity (thank you for the two awesome reviews!), aaaa, moonlight16, narutolove1987, hotchadobsessed, and Wadjett. Same goes out to all those who've added this story to their Favorites List and Story Alerts. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction for the Host. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. But if you "resemble" Ian O'Shea, do call me. ;)**

**In addition, no one was harmed in the making of this fanfiction. Well, okay...maybe I **_**did **_**swat a mosquito that was doing his best impression of a Volturi on me while I was innocently minding my own business. In that case, I claim total self-defense!**

**Okay, enough rambling...**

**ON with the show!  
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Wanda POV**

_And walked away, I did._

That is, until I bumped into someone who'd also been walking down the hallway.

"Whoa, girl!" he said, steadying me before both of us toppled onto the floor. "Where you off to in such a stupor?"

Through glazed eyes, it took me a while to orient myself to my surroundings. I remember walking away from something. But for the life of me, I couldn't seem to recall where I was headed.

The instant my brain returned to me, I realized it was Andrew who I'd nearly plowed down.

"I'm...so sorry," I mumbled as I straightened myself. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." I wasn't sure if my tear ducts betrayed me yet again so I focused my gaze somewhere else other than his face. It was all I could do to keep my voice as level as possible.

He wasn't convinced. "You've been crying." It was a statement, not a question.

Unconsciously, I rubbed the moisture from my eyes. "No," I said in denial. "Something just caught in my eye."

"Yeah. That's what they call _tears_," he countered. "Has anyone told you that you're such a horrible liar?"

"So I've been told. But I'm not lying..." But when he was about to argue, I quickly added, "Okay, fine. Just a little."

He gave me an unamused glare. "A little of what? Lying or crying?"

"A little of both," I admitted.

"Wanna talk about it?"

I shook my head. I really didn't want to think about it, much less talk about it. I just wish there was a hole I could still crawl into right about now. Was that really so much to ask?

"I didn't think so. Is there anything I can do about it though?" he pressed.

"Not really. It's...personal."

Andrew let out a slow, tired breath. "Your love life again?"

When I didn't respond, he silently cursed and rubbed a hand down his beautiful face. "You know what you need, Wanda? You need a distraction."

Confused, I asked, "A what?"

"A distraction," he repeated. "You need something to take your mind off of Ian for once."

"I never said-"

"You didn't have to. It's all over your face. I take it, that insensitive prick back at the Core told you my sister was with Ian at the moment?"

I looked askance at him but didn't say anything to neither confirm it nor deny it.

"We were monitoring the rooms when Rob came across their feed. I admit, I didn't like it either," he said with a droll sneer.

"Were they-" I started to ask.

"About that distraction..." he interjected, clearly not wanting to delve deeper into that subject.

I gave him a peeved look. _What was he not telling me?_

He continued despite my feeble attempt at glowering at him. "What are you up to today?"

Confounded by his question, I merely said, "Work. I was just heading downstairs when I bumped into you."

"More like, rammed into me," he said joshingly. "But that's beside the point. What say you about holding an impromptu yoga class later tonight? I think the meditation would be good for your Soul - no pun intended."

"I really don't think that's a good idea," I said, shaking my head at the mere thought of it. "Besides, you need days to plan that kind of class - days that I really don't have. No one would show up at such short notice."

"Leave the logistics to me. People will show up, I promise. If not, you can just be there and look pretty," he said with a mischievous glint in those big, gray eyes.

"Why is this class so important to you?"

"No need to concern yourself with the semantics of it. Just be at the gym around eight o'clock tonight; plenty of time for you to get some dinner and prepare for the class after your shift at the Front Desk."

"Andrew-"

He shushed me by softly covering my mouth with his hand. "Just trust me, Wanda."

"But what about my friends?" I asked, mumbling through his fingers.

Slowly, he removed his hands from my lips. "I've scheduled them for a tour around the Hotel tonight. Can't very well show them around during the daylight hours; too many Souls milling around the place. Even if we had our contacts on, it'll still be too risky. And since Ian will be with us, I doubt you'd want to be around, true?"

My instincts were telling me to say '_no_' and to be suspicious of Andrew's machinations. Unfortunately, what he said was also right. I desperately needed the distraction from Ian. I took a deep breathe before finally relenting. "Okay, fine. I trust you, Andrew. I just wish you'd enlighten me more about what I'm getting myself into."

He pulled me into his arms and whispered in my ear, "Everything will be fine, Wanda."

Before I could respond, he released me and hurried towards the Core, leaving me to stare after his retreating form.

_Everything will be fine, Wanda. _

Now why do I get the feeling I've heard this same statement not too long ago?

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Ian POV**

"What?" In my shock, that single word came out more like an expletive than an actual question. "Goodbye for what? Are you leaving?"

Andrea's bright gray eyes abruptly turned dull and her voice sounded far away. "No. It's not like I have any other place to go. I'm stuck here, unfortunately. But you and your friends do. And in a few days time, you will be leaving all this behind. I'm saying goodbye to let you know that I'm done with all this. Live your life however you want to without having to worry about a clingy ex."

"Just like that?" I asked skeptically. With all she's been through and knowing everything that she'd given up, I can't help but be unconvinced of the ease she was washing her hands off of all of this.

"Just like that," she repeated but with obvious hesitation. "I'm a Waldorf, Ian. If not for anything, I still want to keep my dignity. I know when I'm not wanted and I definitely don't want to go around begging for something that doesn't want to be mine."

"And Wanda? Will you leave her alone too?"

A tic worked in her jaw before she answered. "I'm a Waldorf, not a saint. I can't guarantee I won't be less civil if I pass her in the hallway. There's a reason Andrew had her stay in the lower floors, away from me."

_Ah_. So that was the reason Wanda hadn't stayed on this floor. But before I could ask any more of it, red emergency lights suddenly lit up the entire room accompanied by the ear piercing shrill of an alarm.

"What the-"

Andrea glanced up to the source of the pulsing red light without as much as a flicker of emotion. "Don't mind it. It's just the alarm to let everyone on this floor know that somebody is coming in from the Penthouse through the lifts. Since there is no way for the rest of us to know if it's a friend or foe, they installed these alarms to make sure we all stayed in our rooms and out of sight of the hallway. My paranoid brother set up the precaution just in case some renegade Soul or Seekers stumbled into Sanctuary. It's annoying but worth the safety of everyone here."

"Sanctuary? As in a Church, sanctuary?"

"It's just the same concept. We can't keep calling it the Thirteenth Floor for obvious reasons."

_Yeah_, I guess not.

Slowly getting annoyed with the flashing lights and the assault on my eardrums, I muttered, "How many minutes does this thing last anyway?"

"A couple or so minutes. I heard it used to be far longer and louder than that. That is, until Andrew got an earful from the resident pet when it woke her up in the middle of the night when the alarm had stayed on for more than ten minutes. It took them twice the amount of time to calm her down. The precaution wasn't worth the effort it took to get things settled down afterward."

"The resident _what_?"

"Babe, the resident potbelly pig. She's Rob's beloved pet. Don't ask me why," she said in an amused tone.

Nonplussed, I asked, "There's a potbelly pig roaming around the halls?"

"Yes, there is and the image is quite hilarious if you ask me." She then cocked her head to the side and surveyed me with a curious expression on her face. "But what's with all the questions? I never knew you were a Twenty Questions kind of guy."

"Well, forgive me for being ignorant to all this. I havebeen living under a rock for a little over half a decade and I'm not the least bit clairvoyant either."

Her lips curved up to a wry smile as if amused by my rant - a smile that Wanda used to give me when she was in one of her rare teasing moods. Had it still been Wanda inside her, that look would have, without a doubt, crumbled the walls I've begun to build around me. As it was, it wasn't Wanda, and that smile elicited no more affection from me than if someone had told me I'd finally won the lottery today. Rather ironic, in my opinion.

"And," she added, ignoring my brief tirade, "I don't remember you being this cranky either."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Ya think?" I said sardonically.

She didn't respond.

"You know," I said, glancing at the clock again, "as much as I _enjoy_ our little chat, I think it's about time we both got some rest. It's been a really, really long day for me and I desperately need to get some sleep. If you think I'm cranky now, watch me turn into a senile old hag if I forced myself to stay up a minute longer."

_Okay_, so maybe that was a bit more exaggerated than I meant it to be but I really didn't care. I needed to go search for Wanda and apologize even though I knew she completely hated my guts and everything else attached to these so-called guts. There's so much I needed to explain to her. And if I have to go on bended knees to ask for her forgiveness, so be it. I'm not above apologizing at the moment. Hell, I'll grovel at her feet if she wants me to. But to do that, I needed to get Andrea to leave now.

Thankfully, she nodded in agreement. "You're right, it is kind of late. As soon as the alarm stops, I'll leave."

To her dismay, and to my utter relief, it stopped just then.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Andrea stood up from the bed and made her way to the door in a deliberately indolent pace. I followed behind her.

When we were outside in the hallway, she slowly turned around and said, "Thank you, Ian. For everything."

In spite of it all, she had been a better part of my past and I couldn't say that I wasn't the least bit grateful too for what she'd done. Right now she was hurting and feeling betrayed. And yet, she still set me free.

Wasn't that was the bitter truth of it? In a way, we needed some kind of closure to be able to move on with our lives. As harsh as the reality was, it was better to have known than to have been kept in the dark all this time. Now, we can finally let go of the past.

"No. I should be the one thanking you," I told her. "I'm glad you came. I think we both needed it."

She flashed me a smile, but one that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Would it be too much to ask to hold you one last time?"

I stiffened. My body was sending off all sorts of signals to say 'no' and just back away. But even though a part of me thought this wasn't the smartest thing to do, I knew deep inside that I, at least, owed her that much.

I opened my arms a fraction and she didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around me. Hesitantly, I draped my arms around her tiny shoulders. I expected my body to betray me yet again the moment I felt her body pressed against mine. But to my amazement, I felt nothing. Not even a slight tingle. Gone were the sparks as the connection between us was evidently unplugged.

Instinctively, I patted the back of her head like a friend comforting another.

When she moved to tighten her hold, her sleeves accidentally chaffed against my still tender skin, causing me to wince. It's been two hours since my scalding hot shower and yet every inch of me still felt raw to the touch.

Andrea took in that reaction as something else entirely and immediately pulled out of the hug. After a quick '_I'm Sorry_', she turned and walked away.

When she rounded the corner towards the Core, I exhaled a breath that I didn't know I've been holding all this time as I let the thought of finally being free envelope me. It made me all but fly towards the elevator to find Wanda.

That is, until I realized I was still half naked.

After going back into my room and pulling on a pair of jeans and a borrowed black button down shirt, I sprinted towards the elevators again only to stop short when I saw a shadow at the end of the hallway. Upon closer inspection, I recognized that familiar blond halo to belong to Andrew. He stood with his back turned away from me and it sounded like he was talking to someone else in front of him. When I drew closer, I realized the other voice was coming from his handheld.

"...yeah, eight o'clock. Send out a broadcast to everyone on the gym's mailing list. Might as well include those on the Hotel's too," he said.

I couldn't quite catch the muffled response on the other end.

"Duh. I know it's short notice. I do own a watch. Just set it up like a good doggy that you are and stop asking questions."

I know it was wrong to eavesdrop even though I've done it more times than I can remember. But now was not the time to indulge in such actions. Besides, they've got this place monitored like Fort Knox back in the day.

I cleared my throat behind Andrew.

He spun around and practically yelped.

"Dammit, Ian. A little warning would have been nice," he snarled. Then he spoke into the handheld, "Way to let me know someone was behind me, asshole."

The man on the other side of the call sniggered in amusement. "Why should I when it's more fun this way? You should have seen your face, boss. It was hi-_freaking_-larious. Oh wait...I did take a picture of it. So...no worries there. Hope you said '_cheese_'." His words were accompanied with more guffaws in the background.

"I didn't. I'm lactose-intolerant, mind you," Andrew said as he extended his middle finger to send him a virtual '_Fuck You_' through one of the security cameras.

"I'd love to, boss," he paused. "But I ain't your type. I'm not inflatable."

Before I could help myself, I joined in their laughter.

Andrew rubbed the bridge of his nose as if he had a migraine. Poor guy, it must be rough managing a bunch of smart-asses twenty-four seven. Had anyone dared to give Jeb that same lippy attitude, he'd have blown his or her brains out. Then, of course, he'd end up cursing afterward for having wasted a precious bullet on their worthless ass.

He shut the radio off with a twist of a knob and a curse that would have made a sailor's mama proud.

"This is what I get for taking trash in instead of taking them out," he mumbled under his breath.

"You always surround yourself with people who have rabid personalities?" I ribbed.

"No. Rob's relatively harmless. I made sure he was housebroke before I took him in. But I'm starting to worry about some of the shots he might have missed. I'll take a mental note to stay away from him if ever his mouth starts foaming."

"You guys definitely have a warped sense of humor. And here I thought Kyle and I were bad. We're amateurs compared to you lot," I said, shaking my head in mock disappointment.

"Well, I'd rather surround myself with these morons than be forced to live in a life that was straight out of a Stepford Wives movie. No thanks, bud, but I think I'll stick with the jibes. Besides, there's a reason for all this attitude."

I arched a bemused brow at him. "There's justification for acting like asses? This I gotta hear."

He nodded. "With all of us wearing contacts around here, it's hard to figure out who's still human and who's been taken over by the Souls without our knowledge. I have to say, some of us can be quite the actor. It's when we open our mouths that let the other person know which side we're still on."

"Makes sense. And it's obvious there are those who enjoy tormenting you way too much."

"You have no idea," he said. Then he narrowed his eyes on me. "So, tell me. What were you doing out in the hallway anyway before you decided to scare ten years out of my life?"

"I was going to see Wanda."

"You planned to take the elevator back up to the Penthouse and head straight for her room?"

I shrugged. "That was the idea."

"Without contacts or sunglasses?"

_Shit. _

Totally forgot about that. What the hell was I thinking?

Andrew sighed and clapped me on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. It takes time to get used to the concept. Besides, it's not like you can operate the lift without a transponder anyway."

Good thing for that. Then again, maybe that was the reason such a thing was needed. Damn, they really thought of everything for this place.

"And regardless," he continued, "Wanda's manning her shift at the Front Desk right now."

"Why would she still go to work when we're supposed to bring her home already?" I asked, confused why she would do such a thing.

"Home is a fairly relative term, Ian. I'd run that by her first if I were you."

"What are you saying, Drew? That she doesn't consider the caves as her home anymore?"

"I'm just saying that she's at a crossroads right now especially with what went down at the Penthouse only mere hours ago."

I scowled at the implication of his words. "Have you brainwashed her the whole time she's been here? I swear to god if you did…"

He scoffed. "Believe me, that woman may be a Soul but she's stubborn as hell to the core. She's got her own mind and she's not afraid to use it. But I'm not going to lie and say we didn't try. You and I both know she'd be better off here."

Though I wanted to argue the contrary, sadly I knew deep down that that was the truth. Was I so blinded by my own selfishness again that I failed to see the logic of it? Was I that self-absorbed that I didn't even bother thinking if Wanda still wanted to go back with us? We only assumed that she did. But what if Andrew was right and she'd already decided to stay? Can I live with that? Or could I still respect myself in the morning if I told her that she couldn't?

The thought scared me to death and it was enough to crumble me inside.

Andrew took one glance at me and knew right away the turmoil that was my state of mind. The look on his face reflected the ugly picture in front of him.

"Ian," Andrew prompted, "it's dangerous for you to keep something so dark inside you. If I were you, I'd search for a way to let it out without endangering everyone else around you. Go to the gym and beat up on a punching bag or run yourself to the ground with a treadmill. Anything to help you take the edge off."

"I don't think that's such a good i-"

"Just do something with all that angst, for Christ's sake!" he said in exasperation. "You, Wanda and my sister are giving me premature gray hairs with this messed up, convoluted love triangle!"

"You don't have to worry about your sister. She'd already taken herself out of the picture," I muttered.

"And what a relief that is," he said drolly, massaging the furrow of his brows.

I could only glower at him. Or maybe I was glowering at myself.

He expelled a tired breath then checked his watch. "Look, I'm tired and I'm cranky and I need to sleep before I take Jared and Melanie on a tour of this place. I can't risk being sloppy if we're going to be around other Souls – native or otherwise. Since you told me hours ago that you didn't want to join us, I was going to ask you if you could help Rob at the gym today. There's a yoga class tonight and we need the extra muscle to move stuff around to accommodate them. I seriously think you could use the distraction too."

Sighing in resignation, I said, "I s'pose I can. What time do you need me there?"

"Seven-thirty. And wear comfy clothes if you've got any. If you don't, there's a closet in the gym full of sweats, shorts, shirts and even crotch guards. They're all in a bunch of different sizes and all of it's new so you don't have to worry about contracting someone else's cooties. Just help yourself to any of them."

"What about Wanda? What time does she get off her shift?"

"She'll be, _um... _Let's put it this way, she's the yoga teacher who'll be teaching the class tonight."

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Andrew POV**

Andrew Kyrian Kempner Waldorf: _Hotel Owner, Computer Guru, All-Around Engineer/Mechanic. _Apparently, I needed to add 'Matchmaker Extraordinaire' to my already pompous Résumé.

_So when the hell did I sign up to be one of Cupid's minions_? Oh...right. That would be two seconds ago.

Gah! If only I didn't owe Wanda a favor, I would've told Ian to kiss my sorry ass and not bother myself with their love lives. As it was, I'm indebted to her for bringing my sister back even though I did wish the circumstances would've been a lot different. Beggars can't be choosers, I guess. And coming from a life of privilege, begging was not something I did on a daily basis.

Well, I just hope for both their sakes, they don't screw this up.

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A/N (again): Love it, Hate it, Meh it, and your favorite, 'Please update soon.' Y'all know what to do. Thanks again in advance!**

**Oh…yeah! You know what's coming next. Just so you all know, if you want a visual of the body Wanda picked, do a google images search for the Victoria's Secret model, Miranda Kerr. **


	23. The Yoga Class

**A/N: Big THANKS again to the wonderful people who've inspired me to keep this story going by taking the time to leave a review: **TeamIanandEdward, Ponypal95, Dizzien, cOn Bites, booky-true-false-identity, moonlight16, cellogirl, megs was here, xXDreamWriterXx, LiveLoveLaugh18, Wadjett, manna, DiscoMonster, TeamO'Shea, xXxJessikaxXx, rizky and Katie**. And THANKS also for those who've added this story to their Story Alerts and/or Favorite Story Lists. Love you all!**

**Disclaimer: I may have used Stephenie Meyer's characters from the Host but the events of this fanfiction are the products of the voices in my head. Let's be glad I haven't told them to shut up yet.**

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Ian POV

"Whose smart idea was this to bolt these _fuckin'_ things to the floor anyway?" Rob cursed as he almost nicked another finger from trying to pry loose the screws that secured the exercise machines to the floor. Luckily, the gym had been closed in preparation for tonight's class. Had there been any other Souls around, they would have been immediately alerted of the presence of humans with the way Rob was throwing a temper tantrum.

"Probably the same one who ordered you to move them. I must admit, Andrew knew what he was doing when he asked you to move them. I'll give him props for that one," Blaze mused as he single-handedly lifted a weight bench.

Rob groaned at the huge man. "That asshole lives and breathes to torture me, I swear."

I smirked at his asinine deduction. "I say – turnabout is fair play, don't you think? Call it payback for taking that picture of him in the hallway."

"What picture?" Blaze asked, looking over his shoulder to glance between Rob and me.

"I didn't even take that picture!" Rob exclaimed in defense. "I was just messin' with the guy. Andrew needs to chill for once or at least get rid of that anal probe he still got lodged up his sphincter. After all these years, you'd think he'd finally develop some sense of humor."

"And we'd think you'd have grown some bloody balls by now but we're still waiting for those, aren't we?" Paige's feminine lilt came through from the doorway as she walked into the gym carrying an armload of yoga mats of an assortment of colors and designs.

Rob merely glowered at her sarcasm which was actually a surprising testament to a self-control we never thought he possessed. But then again, even _he_ was smart enough to keep his mouth shut instead of antagonizing Paige when he was only an arm's reach away from her Schwarzenegger-sized husband. Even though Blaze was a Soul, it didn't mean he wouldn't protect his woman with everything he can dish out. From what Andrew told me, the big lug has enough human in him to lay on the hurt; though he would apologize for it later. But only after he'd beaten the crap out of you first.

But it wasn't that Paige couldn't handle her own anyway. At five-nine with a well-sculpted body that could give Jillian Michaels a run for her money, she also had a razor sharp wit that rivaled Rob's own caustic personality.

Blaze propped the weight bench against the far wall, strode over to her and, with the grace unheard of from such a huge man, he lithely swept her off her feet and kissed her fiercely as if no one else was watching.

Something inside me ached at the sight of them. Such happiness coming from two species who were supposed to be enemies and yet held each other as though they shared one heart. They made it work – without thought, without prejudice, without the sting of broken pasts. So why couldn't it happen for Wanda and me?

Rob did a pseudo-cough to get their attention. "Yeah, um...equipment? Yoga class? Time constraint? Andrew gonna kick our asses all the way to the Mist planet if we don't get this place ready by eight? Any of those ring a bell to you guys?"

When the couple chose to ignore him – as everyone usually did – he huffed in annoyance, tossed his wrench into the tool box and stomped towards the water cooler; all the while mumbling about being the only responsible one around here.

I chuckled in spite of myself then returned to moving the rest of the weights to the far side of the room. I had no idea what Andrew was playing at here but he sure was going through a lot of trouble to hold this class. From what I'd gathered earlier, this was the first one they've ever held in this gym. It was pretty obvious anyway since the machines looked like they've been bolted down in their spots for decades now. And with them in place, there was no room for more than five people to comfortably stretch out on the floor.

I started to wonder what made him want to begin one now and why he'd chosen Wanda to teach the class when all of a sudden, a sick feeling went through me. It made me clench my teeth in disgust as I realized what had prompted him to do such a thing.

_The bastard wanted to keep Wanda here with them. Or at the very least, use this as a ploy to convince her to stay. _

I held on tightly to the two twenty-five pound dumbbells on my hands as blind rage slowly tore through me. It was all I could do to keep myself from chucking them out the window. I should have seen this coming. Did he honestly think I wouldn't see through his façade?

But before I dropped everything and stalked off to give Andrew a piece of my mind - or give him a beating of a lifetime - I paused when something had caught my eye.

No. It wasn't _something_. It was more like _someone _– a very, very breathtakingly gorgeous _someone._

Wanda was standing stock still in the doorway; her plush pink lips were slightly parted as she watched me with a mixture of shock, fear and confusion with those scintillating aquamarine eyes of hers. And when our gazes locked, hers suddenly became that of yearning causing all the blood to rush from my brain and head straight south. Oh, she was too beautiful for words; too exceptional to be described by meaningless words.

At first glance her hair was blonde but the bright fluorescent lights of the room set off a soft strawberry tint to it so enticing that it practically begged to be touched. I wondered if it would feel as soft as it looked. More so, I wondered how it would feel draped across my chest.

She wore a stunning nude colored sports bra and matching form fitting yoga shorts that hugged her luscious bottom like a second skin. I licked my lips imagining how she would taste. If she'd be as mouth-watering as she looked right now, I'd say I've died and gone to heaven. The image she exuded was like a page straight out of a Victoria's Secret catalog.

On second thought, scratch that. None of those scantily-clad (or barely clothed) underwear models on those glossy pages captivated me the way this woman in front of me did. And it wasn't just because of the body she wore. It was the real woman underneath that exterior that really took my breath away.

"Wanda!" Paige shrieked as she jumped out of Blaze's arms. Her unexpected exuberance at seeing Wanda made us both jump and break the eye contact we shared. Paige bounded up to her in a playful manner that was short of a hop, skip and a jump. "I am so glad you changed your mind and agree to this," she said, giving her a quick hug when she reached her side.

Wanda gave her a sheepish grin. "Hello to you too, Paige. But I wouldn't want to get your hopes up. It's just this one time. Frankly, I'm not even sure what I'm doing here."

"Don't knock it till you've tried it, sweetie," Paige said, grabbing her hand and leading her towards the East side of the room where floor-to-ceiling mirrors lined the entire wall. The area in front of it was covered in hardwood flooring, separating it from the rest of the gym for people to warm up before starting their workout routines. "Besides," she continued sanguinely, "Soul's shouldn't turn their backs on what's obviously their true calling."

Wanda mumbled something in response but they were too far for me to hear what she'd said.

Rob sauntered from the water cooler over to the two women. "Hey, Wanda, can I possibly talk you into giving me a private preview of the moves you'll be showing later? The room next door is vacant and I think I could use some extra credits with the teacher," he asked huskily, raking her body with a hungry stare.

I counted to ten before deciding to go over there and slugging the bastard for his audacity.

I only got to six when I found myself moving towards him with my fists clenched.

Blaze pulled me to a stop. "Leash the temper, human. It would do you no good to make a scene here."

Growling, I tried to pull my arm away from him but he didn't let go. Instead, he held me with a gimlet stare. "If you actually feel threatened by Rob, I'd seriously doubt your masculinity. That kid may act like a playboy but he wouldn't know which end of a pencil to stick into a sharpener, even if it hit him in the head."

His odd choice of words actually gave me pause.

"You are an incorrigible little thing, aren't you?" Paige said, pinching Rob's cheeks in the process.

Wanda gave him a patient smile. "Rob, behave yourself. Please. Or we can just cancel this altogether."

Rob let out a long, suffering breath. "I didn't think so. Oh well, one could only hope," he shrugged as he trudged his way back to us.

When he was within reach, Blaze smacked him in the back of the head. Hard.

"Ow! Son-of-a-"

His curse was cut off by the sound of footsteps entering the gym. A _lot_ of footsteps.

We all turned towards the doorway where a handful of men and women dressed in workout clothes were spilling in, sometimes in two's and oftentimes, three's.

I glanced around the room and saw that half of the equipment still hasn't been moved to the side. Checking the time on the wall clock above the water cooler, I inwardly cursed when I saw it was five till eight.

_Damn. _It was almost time.

My eyes immediately went to Wanda whose color suddenly paled a shade or two degrees lighter. Dread blanketed her features and I was momentarily tempted to pull her close and assure her it would be alright. But the moment the thought crossed my mind, I was distracted by the grinding sound of metal and plastic being dragged across the carpet.

Everyone had gone to help move the stuff.

Wow. Talk about teamwork. And none of them had to be told what to do. I'd bet my right arm that Jeb would kill to have us all work like this without having to threaten our lives every hour.

When the clock struck eight, everything was in place just as the entire gym filled to capacity. Andrew was right - he could make it happen despite the short notice. But what amazed me the most was how so many people have come to see Wanda teach. There really was something about her that drew people to listen to her; it didn't matter if she was simply telling stories or teaching courses about other planets. She spoke, and everyone seemed inclined to listen.

And looking at her as she quickly calmed her nerves before calling everyone to settle down just made me realize that this really might be her true calling. Worse, the fact that I could as well be taking it all away from her severely tugged at my conscience.

But all thoughts of letting her go disappeared the moment she bent down at the waist and gave me a spectacular view of her decadent ass. It took all of my will power not to go over there and pull her against me until I could feel every inch of her body pressed against mine. Just thinking about it got me all hard and aching all over.

Unfortunately, everyone else enjoyed the great view of her ass too when several sighs echoed throughout the room.

Seeing other men, human or Souls alike, ogle her with lust in their eyes unleashed a black mood inside me that I didn't even want to find out where it was coming from. If I had it my way, I'd have covered her up like an Eskimo. That is, after I draped a curtain or two around that mouth-watering body of hers.

Once, Wanda thought I wasn't looking and she tried to steal a peek in my direction, she immediately blushed ten beautiful shades of red. I had to bite back a laugh. She was too cute when chagrin was written all over her face.

But ten minutes into her class and I was close to dying of torture. I could barely hide the bulge that was getting too obvious through these borrowed gym shorts. Maybe I should have taken a crotch guard from the closet too but I doubt it would have helped much anyway.

From my seat in the far corner of the room, I shifted positions to alleviate the pain but it only made it worse. If I stayed here any longer, people would definitely notice that something's up if I kept holding my hands over my crotch. And that is with all pun intended.

Cursing, I grabbed my towel and water bottle and made a beeline for the locker room. A cold shower is definitely in the agenda right about now. I held my stuff close to my waist to hide Mr. Happy who was all too eager to stand at attention. Rob burst out laughing when I passed by him. He obviously knew why I had to leave. Blaze was more discreet about it but he still chuckled nonetheless. A few folks eyed us curiously but I knew better to ignore them. I could feel Wanda's beautiful eyes bore through me from the back of my head but I didn't dare face her.

If I did, I'd probably explode where I stood.

**

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Wanda POV

_What did I do?_ What have I done to make Ian to leave?

I was transitioning between the Pristhasana (lizard) and the Pranamasana (bowing) poses when, from the corner of my eye, I saw Ian storm off clutching his towel fiercely around his waist as though he was going to be sick.

But sick of what?

I'd been surprised to see Ian in the gym tonight. I was happy to see him but surprised, nonetheless. I didn't expect him to be here when I knew he was supposed to be with Mel and Jared on a tour of this place. So it came as a total shock when I entered the gym and found him helping Blaze move the equipment around.

I admit, I'm guilty of pulling off moves that I knew would arouse him. Seeing him with Andrea this morning, I couldn't help but take Mel's advise and show Ian what he'd be missing. I know I should leave the two of them alone but something inside me begged me to fight for him - something I'd thought I'd buried hours ago.

But what if Mel and I were wrong and seducing him had made him sick to his stomach? What if he was still in love with Andrea and here I was trying to flaunt this body in his face? How would I feel if I were in his place? Oh god, I'd be sick to my stomach too.

Realizing what I'd done, I chastised my own stupidity.

This class was a bad idea from the start. What in the known universe was I thinking when I agreed to do this? I should just pack up my mat and stop this nonsense right now. But then again, I owed Andrew too much to just walk away from this when I knew how much it meant to him. Why it did? No one knew. He preferred to keep his reasons to himself and made it clear to me he wasn't going to tell me any time soon.

So I finished the session the best I could even though I wasn't into it anymore. My body was on autopilot as the Soul in me slowly retreated into myself. This heart can only break so many times before there's nothing left to put back together anymore.

After thanking everyone for coming over, and at the same time graciously turning down offers to hold more classes, I headed to the locker room to take a quick shower before I went back to my room. I waited for everyone else to empty the stalls before taking one myself. As tender as I was feeling at the moment, I didn't feel like breaking down in front of an audience.

Luckily, I was able to pull myself together throughout the shower and was able to dress and collect my things without shedding a single tear. After leaving the locker room, I went back to the gym to turn off the lights and close up.

That's when I saw Ian leaning against the doors to the only exit of the room; hard arms crossed over his well-muscled chest. His expression was unreadable. He looked devastating – in a scary, albeit scrumptious, sort of way with that feral gaze he had locked on me. He'd changed into a black button down shirt and a pair of faded jeans. His hair was damp as though he'd just come out of a shower.

I stood transfixed at the sight of him; too mesmerized and afraid to take another step.

"Ian?" I whispered hoarsely.

He didn't answer. Instead, he pushed himself away from the door and with calculated steps, stalked his way toward me. His blue eyes flamed like brilliant sapphires and were narrowed hungrily on me - like a predator eyeing his prey.

Terrified as I was, I wanted to run and hide. But that would actually entail being able to have command over my feet. As it was, they decided to make like a tree and rooted themselves to the floor.

And still he didn't stop even when he was close enough to touch.

Afraid of what he might do, I staggered back until he had me pressed against the wall behind me. I tried to duck and move away but he put his arms out on each side of me, blocking me from escape. My breath caught as my senses took in his dark, masculine scent.

"Ian," I whispered again; panic and desire slowly tingeing my voice.

He drew a ragged breath before speaking. "Do you. Have. Any idea. What. You do to me?"

His question confused me. "Wh- What are you talking about?" I asked, looking at those baby blues as if hoping to find to find the answer.

Instead of replying, what he did next surprised me. He cupped the side of my face and with the gentleness I've never felt before from anyone, he softly stroked my cheek with his thumb. It was gentle yet his touch was so hot that it burned a trail where his finger passed.

On instant, I wanted to melt in his arms. Better yet, I wanted to throw myself against him and kiss him with the ferocity of being deprived of his touch for the past three weeks; to feel his warm, callused hands all over me, feeling me and touching me where I craved him the most. My body burned to have him inside me, to feel his hard length explode as he came for me, and then to revel in the most glorious of afterglows when both of us were fully sated and spent.

But a better part of my mind still held some degree of sanity and it took all my willpower to force myself not to succumb to his touch. It was all I could do to keep myself from drowning further into his caress. After all, he did just come back from spending the night with another woman. But not just any woman – she was a human, just like him. And one I knew he still cared for deeply.

Afraid to meet his gaze lest the words get lodged in my throat, I concentrated on my shoes and asked, "What do you want from me, Ian?"

"Isn't it obvious? I want you, Wanda." His voice was hot. Throaty. Guttural. And I desperately wanted to believe him.

But I shook my head in disbelief. "How can you say that?"

"Easy. I just did," he said, sporting that killer crooked smile I've missed so much.

Refusing to be swayed, I pressed, "No, that's not what I meant. Tell me honestly, what is it that you really want from me, Ian?"

He paused as if to consider my words. But when he was about to speak, I decided I didn't want to know. So instead, I covered his mouth with my hand to shush him. Pulling up all strength I could muster, I looked him straight in the eye.

Then wish I hadn't.

The intensity of his gaze was enough to turn my insides into mush and I almost forgot what I wanted to say.

Almost.

"Let's get this out of the way first, Ian. Whatever it is that you see in me, it's unnatural. Most of all, it's keeping you away from what's truly in your heart. I've done things to try to keep you with me but I can't keep forcing you to be where you don't want to be anymore. I'm nothing if not pathetic to do what I did tonight. It was uncalled for and I'm sorry."

Now it was his turn to look confused. "What are you talking about, Wanda?"

I sighed and moved away from his grasp. This time, he didn't try to block me. "There are eyes and ears all over the place, Ian. I know where you were last night; who you were with. It's not in my nature to be jealous but I don't have to be a Spider to figure out what the two of you were doing. I had just dropped Mel off in their room when I saw you and Andrea emerge into the hallway. You were good as naked in her arms. So it's okay, Ian. I'm a grown woman and I can take a hint."

He ran a hand down his face. "God, I wish you would have come to me then. Then you would've known exactly what went on in my room."

"And do what?" I cried in shock. "I'm pathetic but definitely not masochistic. Why would I want to intrude on your private moment?"

"So you would've known that Andrea was letting me go! That was her telling me 'goodbye'. Can't you see, Wanda? She's out of our lives. Forever. You don't have to worry about her anymore. What went on in the room was a bunch of blah-blah's and a lot of yada-yada's. I couldn't wait to get her out of there. But other than that, nothing happened. I swear!"

When I didn't respond or react, he added, "And why I only had a towel around my waist then-" he paused to smile sheepishly "-I was kind of hoping it was you when I answered the door."

"You could have changed into something when you saw it wasn't me."

He shrugged. "Why bother? It's not like she hasn't seen me anyway. But that's besides the point."

I cocked a brow at him. "So what _is_ the point?"

That lustful stare had returned to his eyes, making them glow with desire.

"This."

Before I could blink, he wrapped me in his arms and pressed his lips against mine. All at once, all rationale went out the window as I tasted the man who haunted my dreams for the past three weeks; to have finally felt the heat of his skin on my lips. All at once, my body was on fire as my own desire burst into flames.

Ian growled low in his throat before his kisses turned hungry, demanding. Not in all the times we've kissed before had he shown such passion. It was as if he wasn't trying to hold back anymore in fear that I would break. He was still careful but there was no reserve there when his tongue tasted and explored every inch of my mouth.

It took all of my will to force myself to pull away. "Is this all that's ever going to be between us, Ian? Just sex?"

He laid his cheek gently against mine in such a loving manner that the gesture pierced straight to my heart. "No, Wanda. Sex is just the physical description of what I feel for you." Then he took my palm and placed it over his heart. "You alone have made this frozen heart beat again. When I'd thought I'd lost everything, it wasn't true. Because I didn't have anything until I found you."

"Oh...you're good."

He chuckled seductively, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand. "It's not a line, Wanda. I've never wanted anyone as much as I wanted you. I was a fool to let you go. I won't be so stupid anymore."

How could any woman say no to that?

Before I realized what I was doing, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his mouth down to mine. In turn, he wrapped his thick, powerful arms around my waist and drew me so close until every inch of our bodies touched. I gasped as my breasts pressed against the lean muscles of his chest, felt his hard length rubbing against my core through the denim. It was all I could do not to cry out in pleasure.

A deep-seated need tore through my body. It was something I didn't entirely understand but welcomed just the same. I shivered as his lips left mine and started trailing down my throat where he licked the sensitive skin there. Oh my, but he was delectable. Better than how I remembered him. He was innately masculine yet soft when he kissed; fierce but gentle when he touched. He was truly a dichotomy.

And he was mine.

Well, at least for the night. We'll deal with tomorrow when it comes.

For now, I intend to show Ian that this host wasn't only a regular yoga instructor – she was an _erotic_ yoga instructor.

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A/N (again): Love it, Hate it, Meh it or the occasional 'please update soon'. Please let me know what you think.

**This is the first time I'm setting up a poll. Actually, it's more of a 'guess the answer' type of thing than an actual poll. But then again, since I haven't written the next chapter yet and since all of you know where this is headed, I would just like to know...**

**Where would be a good place for Wanda to give a private 'showing' of her moves to Ian?**

**A. Right where they are – in the gym – with mirrors where they can watch themselves  
****B. In the showers inside the locker room (steamy!)  
****C. In the vacant room next door that Rob had mentioned  
****D. Back to Ian or Wanda's room (but could they really wait to get back?)**

**The result, I guess, **_**might**_** dictate the events of the next chapter.**


	24. A Private Engagement

**A/N: Because of your wonderful reviews, this chapter has finally come to fruition. So, to the following, I thank you for the inspiration: **risky, Dizzien, moonlight16, cOn Bites, LiveLoveLaugh18, oohapoo, Ponypal95, The Noxpert, xXDreamWriterXx, booky-true-false-identity, alkmin5, TeamIanandEdward, megs was here, Holding Infinity, Cherry Tulips xD, JasperSaysChillax, Wadjett and the other 2 anonymous reviewers. **Once again, I thank you.**

**WARNING: Very, very lewd content in this chapter. I strongly suggest that you skip this if you are under the age of 18.**

**Also...this whole chapter was written from a Third-Person's POV. It may seem confusing but it was necessary, nonetheless. Hope you'll understand.  
**

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She was beautiful. From the first time he saw her, he'd been captivated by her beauty. She was unlike any other. He'd wanted her for himself but she was undoubtedly out of his league. Never mind her heart still belonged to someone else. So many times he'd wanted to tell her but since time and circumstance had left him a bitter shell of a man, sarcasm was all that came out of his putrid mouth._

_What was the use of being smart when all it's ever done for him was turning him into a total ass? Yeah...he knew what that made him. He supposed it was better than being a dumbass. Still, she deserves someone who can treat her with the same dignity and respect someone like her was entitled to. So who was he fooling by trying to think otherwise?_

_As he stared at that once strong woman, now slumped in defeat, he couldn't help but forget all the reasons why he shouldn't. No one should be punished this badly when the only crime they've committed was being stupid enough to allow someone else to callously break their hearts._

_But could he be her Knight-In-Shining-Armor? No. That was an occupation better left with people who actually had a heart. And since he'd stupidly traded his freedom for a lifetime of security and servitude, there was no other recourse but to continue living in the shadows as a spectator – forever watching, never being a part of the world; never able to experience love firsthand._

_But what if..._

_A sly smile spread across his face as his brain started to scheme the impossible.  
_

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WARNING: The following content is only suitable for persons ages 18 or over. The graphic sexual scene might be too explicit for younger minds. But don't worry...you won't miss anything by bypassing this chapter.**

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Ian burned as the sweet taste of Wanda invaded his lips, his tongue, and especially, his mind. She tasted of heaven and woman – a heady combination that played havoc with his senses. He wanted to devour her but knew he had to take it slow; take his time to savor this moment with her. After all, it had only been less than twenty-four hours since that disaster in the Penthouse.

He hadn't expected her to receive him like this. After what she'd told him about seeing Andrea leaving his room, he half expected her to slap him. Hell, he would've been less surprised had she shoved him off and told him to go fuck himself.

But she hadn't. Instead, she pulled him closer and had kissed him back with the same ferocity that he was giving her; maybe even more. And that had really warmed him. Or at least, just enough to convince himself that everything was right between them...even for a while.

Still holding him close, she rested her forehead against his lips; panting, as though her breath had been taken out of her too. "Why did you leave in the middle of the class?"

He chuckled seductively. "Let's just say, if I had leather pants on, I might've stayed. But the shorts I had on could barely hide this." He smiled before he nudged her playfully with his hips where his groin was obviously aching to make an appearance.

"Oh," she squeaked.

He could feel her face burn against his lips and it was all he could do not to rip out her clothes and pounce her right then and there. But he wasn't an animal even though his libido was screaming for a reprieve.

It took a minute for her skin to return to her beautiful tanned state when she finally spoke again. This time, all seriousness was back in her voice. "You know this doesn't change anything, right?"

As much as he wanted to disagree, he knew she was right. Stroking the fine silk of her hair, he said, "Believe me, babe, I do. But I only ask that you let me love you, even just for the night. And not because I have a sexual itch that needs to be scratched. I really have missed you and I just wanted you to know that."

"I-" she started to say it but found herself choking on the words. The Soul part of her missed him badly and wanted to forgive him anything. The human part of her – that was still left raw with his betrayal – didn't; and in fact, wanted her to let go.

It was a struggle she dealt with ever since she found out about Andrea. But her heart would not see reason. Every day she spent away from him – every day without the warmth of his touch, of not being able to hear the words that always comforted her at night – made her feel all hollow and empty inside. He was her anchor, her reason for being. Only he had ever made her feel safe in a world that she, not even as a Soul, didn't feel she belonged to anymore. He had shown her things that nothing in her thousand years of existence could have taught her. Because of him, she'd learned not to take shelter from the storm but instead, to be able to dance in the rain.

And that was the part of her that she listened to.

So tonight, it was going to be just Ian and Wanda.

Man and woman.

No past. No tomorrow.

She knew she shouldn't be doing this when she was the total anathema to his species. It didn't make sense yet here she was craving this human. Because against all sanity, she wanted her Ian.

Needing to drive all her fears away, Wanda grabbed him into a fierce kiss as she let everything around them fade into the background.

Ian moaned at the taste of Wanda as he buried his fingers through her hair. He was used to her soft, gentle kisses when she still had Andrea as her host. Now this wild, brazen side of her both surprised and captivated him in ways that took his breath away.

And it made him unbelievably horny.

Pressing his body to hers, he pinned her to the wall as their tongues danced to their own symphony. And without breaking the kiss, she reached between them and roughly unbuttoned his shirt until it fell in a crumpled heap on the floor.

She ran her hand over the muscles of his chest and was amazed at how good her touch felt against his skin. She drew her fingertips over his hardened nipples, making him shiver from the pleasure of it.

Ian left her lips long enough to pull her shirt off, revealing her lush, lace-covered breasts that begged him for a taste. He slid a hand under the satin of her bra so he could gently cup her breast while letting the calluses of his hand stimulate her nipple, causing them to pearl under his touch. And when he released the front catch of her bra, those perfect mounds bounced enticingly unto his hands.

He nibbled his way gently from her mouth, across her jaw, down the small of her throat until he was bent low enough to capture a nipple into his mouth. He licked and suckled each breast while massaging and teasing the taut peak of the other. His hands and tongue were relentless in their assault and it was all she could do not to explode where she stood.

Over his shoulder, Wanda could see their reflection on the opposite wall where mirrors lined the entire length of the room. The sight of Ian's smooth back, his muscles rippling as he moved from the right to the left breast, sent an erotic chill down her spine. There was something so sensual about watching the scene from a different point of view.

Which made her suddenly remember about the security camera that was hidden inside the wall clock by the water cooler.

Discreetly checking for the camera, she breathed a sigh of relief when the red blinking light that would've signaled the room was being monitored, was actually turned off. Wanda started to wonder why someone would disengage the surveillance in this room when she realized what was happening.

She silently thanked Andrew for allowing them their privacy.

Her eyes hooded, she continued to watch Ian in the mirrors while he moved to unzip her jeans. Wanda hissed as he slid his hand in to gently caress her clit through the silk fabric of her panties, then moved his hand around her hips to cup her buttocks. Slowly, seductively, he pushed the rest of her clothes down her legs until she was fully bare to him.

Ian crouched in front of her, looking at her with a hunger so profound, it melted the very core of her being. He was absolutely breathtaking when his blue eyes were scorching her with such a devouring, intense stare.

Wanda bit her lip as he lifted one of her legs and draped it over his shoulder; his hot breathe tingling her thighs. He inhaled deeply as if savoring the scent of her. She ran her fingers through his jet-black hair and laid a hand on his clean-shaven cheek. He turned his face towards her palm and planted a soft kiss there.

She smiled down at him until he took her fully into his mouth. Wanda hissed as her knees almost gave out from under her.

She had to hold on to the cabinets beside her to keep herself from falling. He devoured her. There was no other word for it. He licked and teased her until her head spun in ecstasy. And just when she thought she could take no more, he sank two long fingers inside her.

The instant he did, she came in his mouth with the most explosive of orgasms. Wanda had to bite into her knuckles to keep herself from screaming his name.

Ian watched her writhe as he felt her muscles tighten around his fingers, letting her juices flow into his mouth and his hand. She tasted so sweet in his tongue that it made him wonder how much sweeter it would be when he buried his cock deep inside her. His groin twitched at the mere thought of it.

Wanda was even more beautiful when she came. Even though she'd changed Hosts, she still had that familiar air around her that let him know she was there with him, around him, intoxicating him with her presence.

He knew this Host was not a virgin anymore but he didn't take it against Wanda. He simply hoped the Host hadn't lost her virginity while Wanda was inside her here in the Hotel. If she did, then the dick who'd taken her would have a more serious problem than Seekers catching his ass. But if that guy were a Soul, then Ian would show him exactly how protective humans could be of their females. All consequences be damned.

Pushing that thought aside, he licked her wetness from his mouth then kissed his way up the flat plane of her stomach until he was standing over her once again. She looked at him with bright awe in her glaze-covered, aquamarine eyes. With a sly grin, he took her hand and guided it to his throbbing erection.

Ian growled as her fingers slid into his denim and teased the crisp, dark hairs that trailed from his navel to his crotch. His body thrummed with heat as she stroked him. He'd already been hard and straining for her, aching to be inside that slick goodness. It was all he could do not to come in her hand. Although pleasuring in itself, it wasn't her hand he wanted to spill his seed to.

Cupping her face, he kissed her passionately before he moved away to jerk off his boots and unzip his pants.

He smiled wickedly at her as he dropped his jeans and he was finally as naked as she was.

Wanda's jaw dropped as she caught the first sight of Ian in all his glory after these past weeks. He was..._commando_.

There was nothing sexier than seeing a man who was brave enough to walk around wearing nothing underneath his clothes. But then again, there was nothing sexier than the man standing in front of her right now. She couldn't help but lick her lips at the delectable sight he presented.

Smirking, Ian took her hand and guided her across the room. He turned her around then moved behind her so they were both facing their reflections in the mirror. Though she was quite tall, he still stood more than a few inches taller than her. And as she glanced at the most tender expression on his face, it was enough to undo her.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered softly in her ear.

He brushed her hair away from her neck and nibbled at the sensitive flesh there. He cupped her breasts before he trailed one hand down to the small triangle of strawberry curls between her legs.

Wanda leaned against him and let the warmth of his body envelope her. He nudged her legs apart so he could spread her folds and fondle her still sensitive clit. And as she watched him through the mirrors, she couldn't help but bite her lower lip to keep herself from crying out in blissful satisfaction.

But before she could take in another breath, she climaxed again. This time, Ian entered her from behind. Wanda cried out at the sensation of him filling her to capacity. He was a huge man. Though it was a bit uncomfortable, the pleasure of it more than overrode the pain. And she relished every inch of him that was buried to the hilt.

Ian made love to her furiously as she gripped his ass to drive him in even deeper.

He lifted his head to watch her face as he thrust himself in time to the strokes of his fingers. He moaned at her wet, welcoming body. Seeing her spread out in front of him as he pounded into her almost toppled him over the edge.

Wanda reached over her head to bring his head down so she could capture his lips to hers. And as they kissed, he quickened his fingers until she, too, threatened to explode again.

"That's it, Wanda. Come for me," he growled, his voice deep and hungry.

So when she did, he immediately joined her.

Still, he continued to stroke and thrust into her, making them both orgasm even more.

He wrapped her in his arms as he let his release wash through his body.

He couldn't take his eyes of her as their bodies slowly relaxed and their breathing finally calmed a degree. Spent, he lowered them both to the cold floor and let her collapse on top of his chest.

"That was... That was... There were no words to describe it," she whispered, a smile hovering on the edges of her lips.

"_Awesome_ comes fairly close, I think," he said against her strawberry-scented hair.

She purred as his warm hands gently massaged her spine. His touch was soothing. Comforting. She'd never felt so in peace in her entire existence. A girl could definitely get used to this.

"I could stay like this forever," she said without thinking.

Realizing what she had just spoken, she immediately stiffened in his arms.

Ian wasn't sure if she'd said what she just did. Or why her body had suddenly turned rigid. He lifted her chin so he could have an unobstructed view of her eyes. "Does that mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

Deciding it was probably best to be honest with him, she said, "Truthfully, no. But-" she quickly added before he had a chance to complain "-I do want to stay with you forever. Slightly pissed but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Then she lifted herself off of him to straddle his waist; the hair on the juncture of her thighs brushing against his stomach, making him instantly hard again. Her body was flushed from their lovemaking just as her lips and nipples were slightly swollen from his suckling. She was absolutely breathtaking.

She lowered her head and kissed him passionately. Her breast pressed hard against his chest that it made him want to slide himself inside her again. She tasted even better in this body. There was just something about it that truly screamed her name. Wanda definitely couldn't have picked a better Host had she been born into it.

She pulled back and scorched him with a searing gaze. When she spoke, he couldn't deny the sincerity of her words. "I still do love you, Ian. Even unbelievably stubborn and infuriatingly over-protective you may be, you are still the only man of any species that I would trade ten lifetimes for. This was a bump in the road and I guarantee you there will many more bumps ahead of us. But as long as you're by my side, I'll feel like I could take on the world - even Melanie's crazy cousin and aunt," she added good-naturedly.

Ian couldn't speak as her words floored him. Normal humans would've continued to begrudge him his mistakes. But not this woman on top of him. Granted, she may be of a different species but that didn't matter in the least. What he sees in front of him is a person with such a pure heart that not even all the harshness in the universe can taint. While others would be jaded, she alone continued to see the good in the world around her. And that made her special in his book.

The truth of that brought back long-buried dreams in him that he didn't recognize.

He wanted to have a future with her. A family.

That thought jolted him so hard it actually made him wince. What the hell was he thinking trying to make a family in this godforsaken world? It was all kinds of stupid. With Seekers still roaming about looking for rebels, and Souls out to report you the moment they figured out you aren't human...only an idiot would tempt fate by bringing a child into this world.

Yet he couldn't escape the image of what it would be like to have Wanda as the mother of his children. Would they have blue eyes or aquamarine? Would they be blond or dark-haired? But the important thing is that they would be a part of him and a part of her.

On the trail end of that thought, he suddenly realized something...

"Damn," he cursed.

She looked at him with a baffled expression in her face. "Ian? What's wrong?"

"God, I'm such an idiot," he said as he covered his eyes with his hand and pounded his head against the floor. "How the hell could I have forgotten."

"Okaay. You're scaring me, Ian. What are you sorry about? And please, stop hitting your head on the floor. You're hurting yourself."

He stopped banging his head but still kept his eyes covered. Wanda pried his fingers away from his face.

"Ian..." she prompted.

"I...I forgot to use protection."

She smiled. "It's okay," she whispered as she put two slender fingers over his lips. "You don't have to worry about that."

Perplexed, he asked, "How can that be okay? I could've gotten you pregnant."

A veil instantly came over her face and she looked away. Though her face had remained stoic, the look in her eyes belied otherwise. It was full of pain and sadness. It baffled him why. _Did she actually want to be pregnant?_

Ian cupped her chin and forced her to look back at him. "Talk to me, Wanda."

Her face blank, she simply said, "About what?"

He cocked a knowing brow at her.

She sighed before she finally spoke, "I'm sterile, Ian. You won't be able to get me pregnant."

"I don't understand. How would you know that?"

She didn't answer but rolled off to the side and pulled her legs up to her chest to sit beside him, balancing her head on top of her knees. Even though her breasts were covered, Ian had a spectacular view of her cunt, which was visible with the way she was sitting. It was inviting and it begged him to taste her again. He pushed himself up on his elbows so his eyes would be diverted somewhere else.

Dammit. He was such a pig. They just made love and already he was thinking of taking her again. But who could blame him? The woman in front of him exuded such raw and potent sexuality. What was it about her? And he wasn't even thinking about the body. Well, yeah...that too, he supposed. But it was definitely more than that. For some reason, he wanted to lock them both up in a room for the rest of eternity and make love every single minute. Or at least, until they both could barely walk the next day.

Oblivious to his naughty intentions, Wanda started explaining, "When we were scouting for a suitable Host for me, we searched everyone's records - who they were, where they came from. They were even able to pull up medical records. That's how we found out this Host was perfect. Well, perfect in a sense that I wouldn't have to worry about going through what I went through with Mel and Andrea."

Ian could swear she actually winced at saying that name.

"Anyway," she continued, "she'd been vaccinated with 'Erase'. It was a drug that - as the name was aptly called - _erased _the human consciousness forever."

"Yeah. I remember Burns mentioning that to us. He just didn't go much into the details."

She nodded. "So he probably didn't mention that since it's practically in the testing phase, there are still some kinks they haven't quite figured out yet."

"No, he didn't."

Her face became somber. "Sterility is one of them."

"If they haven't fully tested the drug yet, why would your Host want to get vaccinated in the first place?"

"Because of her previous occupation. The Soul that was initially inserted in her didn't want her kind corrupting their perfect world. So she volunteered for it the moment they called out for test subjects."

Not knowing what else to say, he simply said, "I'm sorry."

She offered him a tentative smile. "Don't worry about it. Jared was right, being a mother is dangerous during these times. It's not safe to be pregnant. She did me a favor by doing it."

He heard conviction in her words but more than that, he actually heard the deep-seated yearning that she tried to hide. Even with different Hosts, Wanda still couldn't lie to save her life.

"Besides," she added with a wicked glint in her eyes, "at least we don't have to worry about condoms."

Ian laughed. "Well, in that case..."

And before she could even blink, he had her legs spread wide open and his tongue plunged deep inside her core.

Wanda threw her head back as Ian reached over and grabbed her breast, teasing her nipple with his thumb and forefinger.

"You taste so damn good," Ian mumbled as he devoured her.

"Dear god," Wanda moaned, "that tongue of yours need to be bronzed."

In spite of what they were doing right now, Ian couldn't help but chuckle.

She cocked her head back to look at him. "What?"

"Bronzed?" he mused. "That's a term I've never heard before."

She blushed sheepishly. "It's an expression I learned from Rob. You know how people used to bronze baby shoes and other precious items that mean a lot to them? Well..."

Ian shook his head at her. "That man has to have the oddest vocabulary known and unknown to man."

"He does. But you can't help but love the man."

"And why are we talking about that shit when I can think of better things to do with this tongue - which you previously stated, should be bronzed."

Wanda pulled him up so he was crouched in front of her and their noses were practically touching. "How about we clean that tongue of yours first then you can show me exactly what you have in mind. Care to take a shower with me?"

He smiled devilishly at her. "Only if you let me use my tongue to clean you with, my lady."

_Andrea turned off the security feed in front of her and all the other feeds from that floor._

_It was painful to see Ian with someone else when, deep in her heart, she still knew he belonged to her. But what could she do? He'd moved on without her. It was something she still found hard to accept._

_"Here."_

_She looked up and saw Rob standing behind her with a tissue box in his hand._

_She took one thin sheet and wiped her eyes with it._

_"What are you doing here?" she asked curtly, quickly trying to mask the turmoil of her emotions._

_One side of his mouth curled up to an attractive grin. "I've come to rescue you."  
_

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A/N (again): Love it, like it, meh it, hate it. And yes, 'please update soon' will also do. Please review. :)**

**Just a tip: If you think the first part was awkward, try connecting it to the bottom italicized part. It'll make more sense.**

**Oh yeah…I went to Dragon*Con! And oh, it was too awesome for words. I recommend y'all attend it at least once in your lifetime. And yup, I went in costume too. My pic is in my profile. I went as Sherrilyn Kenyon's Simi from her Dark Hunter series. Check out her books. You won't be disappointed. ;)**


	25. Schemes, Plans & Everything In Between

**A/N: Sorry to all for the last chapter. I know, it's too graphic for most. I'll try to tone it down next time. But thanks, anyway, for the reviews. I really, really appreciate ALL of them. Big hugs, love and a lot good vibes to those who took the two seconds or more to comment/review: **Dizzien, LiveLoveLaugh18, alkmin5, Holding Infinity, xXDreamWriterXx, oohapoo, Moonlight16, booky-true-false-identity, JasperSaysChillax, cOn Bites, StxrStrvk, Sarah strider and anonymous.

**To those who chose to bypass the last chapter, here's a little recap: **

Rob watches Andrea as she mopes in front of the monitors.

Wanda and Ian finally slept together. (Although most won't consider it 'sleeping')

Wanda reveals she's sterile.

Rob makes a move on Andrea.

**That's it in a nutshell.**

**To LiveLoveLaugh18, Sorry I wasn't able to come up with an update in time for your birthday. I hope this special shout out will do for now. Hope you had a great birthday!**

**To everyone else…here's a special treat inside Rob's head.  
**

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One side of his mouth curled up to an attractive grin. "I've come to rescue you."_

**Rob POV**

Andrea shot me an indignant glare. "What makes you think I need rescuing?"

The fact that she was able to say that, while her eyes were beet red and she had practically gone through the entire contents of the tissue box in a matter of seconds, almost made me laugh. But knowing her current state-of-mind, I definitely wasn't dumb enough to point that out to her. Besides, with what I had planned, that really wasn't the best way to start things off with her.

Curbing the pull to give her a caustic reply, I shrugged and took the chair beside her.

"Everyone needs rescuing – one way or another. Especially when the rescuer has this in his hands," I said, pulling out a pint of 'Chunky Monkey' from behind me. "Meet my two best friends – Ben and Jerry. They never fail to put a smile on my face. Grab a spoon and let's make it a foursome."

"And that's probably the closest you'll ever get to an orgy, kid," Wolf quipped from behind us as he jerked the container from my hands.

"Hey!" I protested, trying to snatch it back from him. "Give that back, you dick!"

"Didn't your mama teach you not to steal someone else's food from the freezer?" he tsked.

"For a Soul, you're such an asshole. Ever heard of community property?"

"Community property would only cover things that-" he flipped the container over to show his name scrawled on the bottom "-don't have someone else's name on it. Come near my ice cream again and I swear, you'll be seeing _pork chops_ for dinner," he threatened.

Oh, he did _not_ just try to bring my precious pig into this. "I have half a mind to tell you to 'Fuck Off!'" I said with a glower.

He cocked an I-dare-you-to-do-so brow at me. "And?"

I chose to simply flip him off. The way I figured it, it would take more muscles to tell him to screw himself than it did to raise my middle finger. He just wasn't worth the effort. But perhaps I was lazy like that which sort of explained why I had chosen to steal his ice cream rather than taking the long trip down to the kitchens to procure one.

Wolf rolled his eyes and actually had the audacity to laugh as he walked away with the one thing I was sure to have loosened Andrea up.

Guess it was time for Plan B.

Which, by the way, was still non-existent at the moment.

With a sigh, I turned an apologetic grin to her. "Sorry about that. I can still go and get us another one, if you want. I had no idea that pint already had an owner," I lied casually.

She gave me a half-smile then shook her head.

That was a small triumph to see another expression on her beautiful face other than a frown. Granted, it wasn't a full smile that reached her eyes; but something close to that, nonetheless.

I inclined my head to the monitors. I knew she had just turned off the feed from the gym the moment that rank bastard started kissing Wanda. I've been watching her the whole time this evening, making sure she didn't interfere with the yoga class – per bossman's orders – so I had a fairly good idea exactly what had made her cry. But I'm sure she didn't want anyone to know she was still hurting for the asshole.

"What were you watching on the screens? I take it there was another tear-jerker episode of Extreme Home Makeover? Or were you watching Romeo & Juliet? I don't know about you, but sad stories like those always made me cry too," I said, giving her a genuine smile.

Andrea gave me a look that clearly said she didn't believe a word I just said. Smart girl. "You cried when you watched Romeo & Juliet?"

"No. I didn't say I _watched_ the movie. I cried when I read the _Cliff Notes _of the book. My ADD wouldn't allow me to sit down long enough to read through long novels so I opted for the shortened version of it. It still made me cry though." Then I leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "But don't tell anyone I told you. You're brother's not going to let me live it down if he knew."

She bit back a laugh. "The Rob we all know as _Hell's Incarnate_ cried over R&J? You're playing with me, right?"

My mouth quirked up into a sheepish grin. "Yeah. I am. But at least I made you laugh, right?"

A twinkle appeared in her eyes an instant before the expression on her face fell again. "I know what you're doing, Rob, and I really appreciate it. I do. But...I'd rather be alone right now, if you don't mind."

She went back to staring at the black screen in front of her. Sadly, that was probably how she figured her future looked like right now – one, big blank screen. If only there was some way to help her. Genius that I am, I can't even think of a way to pull her out of this bullshit. There was a reason I never let myself fall in love with anyone. Case in point: this fallen angel in front of me.

But if she needed the space, I can definitely respect that. Wouldn't be wise for me to jump right in when she was obviously still in the mend. Besides, I can hear her brother's footsteps, along with two other sets, entering the room. Best to skedaddle before he suspected anything. Paranoid bastard wouldn't even let me breathe near his sister even though it was his smart idea to have me keep an eye on her.

Before I could leave my seat, Andrew barked from the doorway, "What are you doing here, Rob? Weren't you supposed to be helping Ian with the equipment in the gym?"

_What did he think I was? Mr. Multiplicity?_ Watch over his sister and be at the gym at the same time? Even _I_ wasn't that good. And like hell was I gonna stay around and help Ian with his equipment. Sex may be on my mind twenty-four seven, but a voyeur I definitely was not.

"Obviously, I decided to come back here and jack off to your porn. What does it look like to you?" Okay...so maybe that didn't come out right at all. Oh, screw it. I've already been dubbed the proverbial perv anyway.

Andrew rolled his eyes. "Heaven forbid you'd actually do something more productive with your time."

"Speaking of Ian," Melanie said, ignoring our banter, "do you know where he is?"

I knew where he was but I wasn't about to tell them about his whereabouts. Only the person who had been monitoring the surveillance cameras would have known where he was. And it wasn't supposed to be me. Besides, I couldn't so much as give Andrea any indication I'd been spying on her. Andrew and I were supposed to be oblivious of what's going on in the gym. So I kept my mouth shut about it and shrugged. "Not a damn clue. Last time I checked, I wasn't his babysitter."

Andrea had been slumped against the tall leather-back chair beside me. The moment she heard the other woman's voice, I could tell she'd automatically stiffen. Apprehension and indecision played in her face. Taking a deep breath, she swiveled her chair around to face them. "He's still in the gym."

"You!" Melanie screeched. Before she could lunge at Andrea, Jared immediately grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back. She almost punched him in an effort to be free of his hold.

Andrea curled her lips at her in repugnance. When she spoke, her voice was laced with enough venom to make a few centuries' worth of snake-bite antidotes. "Get off your sanctimonious high horse, Mel. You would have done the same if it had been you and Jared instead of us."

Mel's nostrils flared at her accusation. "Stay the fuck away from them. If you so much as blink in their direction, I'll make sure you won't live long enough to regret it."

Clearly the other woman towered over Andrea and had the physical attributes to easily pummel her to the ground. She was an indomitable force to be reckoned with. A lesser woman would have backed down at that. But not Andrea. She stood her ground without even flinching. "Empty threats mean nothing to me."

"That wasn't a threat, little girl. That was a promise."

"And you can just stuff that where the sun doesn't shine. Lucky for you, I'm done with all of this." With that, she stood and left the room; bumping against Melanie's shoulder on the way out.

"That bi-"

Jared stopped her before she could curse Andrea out in front of her twin brother.

Surprisingly, Andrew took it all in stride. "Take it easy on her, Mel. She hasn't had a good life."

"_She _hasn't had a good life? _Puh_-lease! She doesn't know shit how good she's got it compared to what we, plebeians, had to go through. What, the harshest thing that's ever happened to her in her life was probably getting caught and turned into a Host? Or that Ian left her for Wanda? Wanda's past year alone makes a mockery of that. Has she ever been beaten and threatened time and time again by the people she thought she could trust? Worse, by the same people she had risked everything for?"

I swear I saw Jared cringe. I wonder what the story is behind that. Whatever it is, it must be pay-per-view worthy.

Mel continued despite Jared's sudden discomfort at her words. "Most of all, she didn't try to sacrifice herself just so I could have my body back. No, her pampered life does not even come close. So, forgive me if I can't feel the least bit sympathetic for her."

Andrew kept himself composed despite all impulses to lash back at Melanie for her condemnation of Andrea. I know it wasn't my place to do so but I would have if I had been in his shoes. Why? Because I was a prick. And pricks liked doing things like that.

When Andrew spoke, his voice was level. Controlled. "I won't go and say that I don't understand where you're coming from because frankly, I do. But there are always two sides to every story. And trust me; my sister's side isn't the greener pasture you picture it to be. Granted, it's not as bad as what you probably went through but at least you get to have your happy ending. She, on the other hand, only got me. Yup, definitely not the jackpot she was hoping for. _Whoop-de-doo_ for that."

_Yeah! You tell them, big man! _But of course, I kept that comment to myself. _Now where's the popcorn machine? This is getting good._

Melanie scoffed. "Right. Cry me a river and I'll gladly watch her drown in it."

"That's enough, Mel," Jared finally said. "Just leave the woman alone. I'm sure she has her own demons to fight. Let's worry about our own. Right now, there are more pressing things to talk about than something that really doesn't concern us. It's between Ian, Wanda and Andrea. Let them work out their own problems. You're only worried for your sister and that's perfectly understandable. But Wanda is a grown woman and more than capable to make her own decisions. It's time you let her."

"Yes, but-" she started to argue. _Stubborn female._

"No buts," Jared interjected with a tone that conveyed he wanted her to drop this discussion already. _Damn, and I was beginning to enjoy myself._

Melanie glared at him. "Fine. Be that way. And while you're at it, you might want to ask Ian if you can bunk with him from now on," she snapped before she stormed out of the room.

"Babe-" Jared started to say but she'd already disappeared through the doorway. He didn't bother running after her. Probably from past experience, he knew better than to do so. When he was sure she was out of earshot, he turned to Andrew and mouthed sheepishly, "P-M-S."

"Geez, man. You sure got balls to say that," I quipped.

Jared smirked. "Not really. That's why I had to wait till she left the room. And even then, I couldn't get myself to say it out loud."

Andrew sighed. "If it's any consolation, Jared, Ian is with Wanda right now. Probably using my gym for something else other than…" He let voice trail off. "If you know what I mean."

"Please, I really don't need the visual," Jared said.

"Ditto on that one, bud," I agreed.

A few seconds of awkward silence ticked by (yeah, it tends to happen a lot now that Sports shows have become extensions of the Lifetime channel) as Jared looked uneasily around him. He dug his thumbs into his pockets and said, "Look, I really appreciate you taking us in and showing us how your cell is able to cope with this eff'ed up situation. I'm terribly sorry that we haven't been the most grateful of guests by burdening all of you with our issues. I suppose, being crammed inside a cave with a bunch of other misfits, issues like these are an unfortunate given and sort of brings out the cavemen in us."

Andrew patted him on the shoulder. "Not your fault, man. Shit happens. As long as we didn't lose any more humans to the Souls, I'm a happy camper."

Jared inclined his head. "Speaking of camping, don't you ever go out of this hotel, Drew? You weren't on the raid with Nate and Burns and ever since we got here, you never as much as stepped foot out of Sanctuary and the Penthouse. You're pasty as all get out, too. Don't you ever go anywhere?"

I couldn't help but answer this one. "Why should he? He has a butler, a blowup doll and gigabytes of porn in his hard drive. He's practically set for life!"

Then I braced myself for the expected blow to the back of the head...hold on…wait for it..._bam_! There it was. It never fails.

Rubbing the sore spot on the back of my head, I said, "Is it just me or does everyone think I'm a fucking bobble head?"

"Bobble head, yes. The fucking part...oh, you ain't that lucky, kid," Andrew said mockingly.

"Har. Har. Shut up."

Andrew chuckled as he took the seat beside me that was previously occupied by Andrea. "Anything interesting on the feeds?"

"Same old, same old - women reading sappy romance novels by the cafe, the Playboy channel going on in the gym, Michael Phelps hogging the pool again, and a couple of Seekers riding the elevator to the Penthouse," I said lackadaisically.

"What?" Andrew and Jared both exclaimed at the same time; mirroring panic on both their faces. Funny how identical their reactions were. If I didn't know any better, I'd think they were both woven from the same cloth.

"Yeah, could you imagine that? Five nights in a row now that that Phelps guy has monopolized our pool. You'd think by now he'd learn to share."

Andrew shot me a glare that only someone missing half the marbles in his brain would dare cross. "Not about Phelps. The Seekers, you idiot!"

Since someone had obviously ran off with the last of my marbles a long time ago then decided it was a good idea to play 'Ring Taw' with them, I guess you can consider me nuts. Or maybe because I just enjoyed tormenting Andrew way too much that I live and breathe to annoy him. Besides, our verbal sparring was practically the only amusement I get nowadays.

I gave him a look that was as good as a billboard sign with the words 'Gotcha!' and 'Psyche!' graffitied all over it.

"Asshole," he snarled.

I gave him my most shit-eating grin. "Did you actually expect me to be anything but?"

Jared shook his head. "You, my friend, are the most bizarre person I've ever known. Glad to know the Souls haven't taken you yet. It would be a shame to lose an oddity such as yourself. I'm actually surprised they haven't given you a special corner over at Ripley's _Believe-It-Or-Not _vault."

"That really makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing you think so highly of me," I said with much sarcasm. "Not."

"No, Jared," Andrew piped in, "the Souls haven't taken him but I'm thinking some other alien form might have and they just forgot to take out his anal probe. That's why I try to stay away from him. If I didn't, I might need to start wearing those tin foil hats on my head lest he infects me with his idiosyncrasies."

"And I love you too, boss," I said, blatantly rubbing an eyebrow with my middle finger.

"Damn, kids. When are you all ever going to grow up?"

We all turned to see Nate shaking his head as he made his way towards us.

I inclined my head to him in greeting. "'Supp, old man?"

He jutted his thumb to the door where he came from. "Can one of you care to tell me why Melanie is storming down the hallway with steam billowing out of her ears, doing a damn good impression of Thomas the Tank Engine?"

Our collective response was automatic. "P-M-S."

Nate groaned. "Figures."

I chuckled. "Yeah, you would know. Since you hang around Andrew way too much, you should easily be able to tell the signs by now."

"And I vote we ignore the little annoying voice in the room before I decide to just gift wrap his ass over to the Souls," said Andrew. "Anyone in favor, say 'Aye!'"

It was a unanimous 'Aye!' from the other two.

I rolled my eyes and stood up. "Whatever. I'm outta here anyway. Gonna head to the kitchens to get me something cold and sweet. And don't ask me to bring your lazy bums some coz I ain't yo' maid."

That really was just my excuse to leave. I knew these three were going to be knee-deep in planning for the assimilation of Jared's cell back into society. And though I'm kind of excited for it too, I much preferred going straight to the execution phase of it. Tactical planning always gave me a headache.

Among all the rebel groups in Northern America - excluding Sanctuary - the added number of thirty-nine survivors in Jared's cell had given Andrew a renewed hope to somehow take over another Hotel. Our number here was just enough to run Waldorf-Astoria. Even if we banded together all those other cells, we still wouldn't have come up with a force great enough to be able to infiltrate the one in Orlando.

But if and when we do, things will definitely start looking up for us, humans – even though these were mere baby steps in recapturing the world back to humanity. As one famous guy had said, '_One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind._' Any Souls dumb enough to cross us will be singing a different tune – one they haven't even heard of back at the Bat planet.

I should ask Andrew to allow me to be based there once the assimilation is complete. I definitely could use the tan and a change in scenery. And maybe he could send Andrea there with me. I know…it's completely wishful thinking on my part. A guy can only dream.

Before I got to the hallway, Nate called out to me. "Don't you be detouring to our fridge and be stealing Wolf's Chunky Monkey. You know he's gonna skin your hide if you do."

I snickered to myself. Kinda late for the warning there, bud.

_Now where did Andrea go? _I really hate having to do a 'Where's Waldo' on the surveillance monitors just to look for her.

Inwardly, I prayed to God that she didn't go anywhere near the gym.

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A/N (again): Since I technically can't beg for money to support my writing, I'll just settle for your reviews. Regardless of what others might say, I can definitely live off of those. LOL**

**Please let me know what you think. Love it, Hate it, Meh it, and 'Please Update Soon'. You know the drill. ;)**


	26. Dreams

**A/N: First and foremost, I would like to thank all of my lovely readers who've taken the time to leave a review and those who've also added this story to their Favorites Lists and Story Alerts. Every notification I get regarding this piece never fails to put a smile on my face. So, big hugs and thanks especially to the following: **alkmin5 (for always giving me constructive comments), Ponypal95, xXDreamWriterXx (Special Thanks to you, Nina, for being my 300th reviewer!), JasperSaysChillax, Chay18, Moonlight16, LiveLoveLaugh18, XxXpeace-love-twilightXxX, pixieangel3000, Sailing On The Horizon, CherryBlip (for the two reviews you left), RoseJean Sterling Salvatore, shebert88, anonymous, Sarah strider (always love your Brazilian tests!), and .Ian.

**Second, my deepest apologies for the delay in updates. I've been sucked back into the world of Harry Potter again (due to the movie that just came out) and have been too enamored with all its wonderful fanfiction pieces out there (Go Dramione!) that I just couldn't find myself inspired enough to come back. But since I made a promise not to abandon this story until the end, I will make sure that 'Anything But' will see its completion. But just because I promised, it doesn't mean I'm going to dish out half-hearted updates to do so. Let's just hope I get to post one or two chapters before the end of the year. Fingers and toes crossed.**

**Third, I created a photobucket album for pictures of the characters I envisioned for this fanfic. Check it out and let me know what you think. If they aren't what you thought the characters would look like, leave me a comment for suggestions. And please, not Somerhalder for Ian O'Shea. As much as I love him in Vampire Diaries, he's just not as muscled as I would like my version of Ian to be. When you copy the link to your browser, remember to take out the spaces in between. FF is crazy in a way that it doesn't like anyone posting URL addresses anywhere.**

**http : / s1217 . photobucket . com / albums / dd399 / RawSugarX23 / Anything%20But /**

**Remember, this isn't my choice cast for the movie but simply how I visualized the characters to look like while I was writing this fanfiction piece.**

**Fourth, I've finally mapped out the rest of this story. It'll only be up to Chapter 29 plus a separate chapter for the Epilogue. I've also decided to do an Alternate Ending after it. So, after the official Epilogue, I will be posting an alternate Chapter 29, followed by an alternate Epilogue. **

**Lastly, I've been playing around with another story (still a Host fic). It'll be less angst, more on the humor/romance genre, and it'll be T-rated this time. Watch out for it! Working Title is '**_**Next**__**Generation'**_**. I'm still debating whether to make it a long one-shot or divide it into three smaller chapters.**

**Okay, enough rambling… ;)  
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Ian POV**

_White walls. White laminate tiles on the floor. White fluorescent lights embedded on alternating slots of a sparse white ceiling. White numbers glowing on several monitors around a white hospital bed. Wanda, in a white patient's gown, panting and screaming with all the air that her tiny lungs would allow her to expel._

_She was surrounded by Souls, all of them in white hospital scrubs. Her cries mirrored every spike that registered on the screens whilst her entire body struggled against the hold of those who were trying to calm her down. Beads of sweat fell from her brows as her face contorted to what I can only imagine as intractable pain._

_I simply stood in the corner, wanting – no, needing – to go over and comfort her. But something was holding me back. And for the life of me, my own limbs refused to move. Bodies rushed beside me, around me, and sometimes, through me. I was a ghost in the room with no corporeal body to call my own yet still fully cognizant of the folly that surrounded us. _

_The cacophony of sounds that echoed around the small room was overwhelming: multiple monitors beeping, hushed and harried instructions being called out around her, alarms blaring outside beyond the thin curtains that separated her from the others, Healers getting paged on the intercoms – they all blended with her pleading screams for her suffering to end._

_And despite the madness that came with the noise, none of it compared to the deafening silence that followed when her final push gave birth to our stillborn son._

And it was with a silent scream on my lips that I was jolted awake.

It took a couple blinks and several moments to calm my racing heart before I forced myself to see that it was merely a dream. Just a dream. I cast a quick glance at my surroundings just to be sure. The walls around me weren't white. The floor was covered with a beige colored carpet; not white again. A small crystal and pewter chandelier hovered over the bed; once again, the ceiling wasn't lined with bright, white fluorescent lights. I expelled the breath I didn't know I've been holding while I assured myself that I was fully awake.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that I could have been sucked into yet another dream. It was a different scene but not at all familiar. One thing, this wasn't the room I've been assigned to. Similar, but not entirely the same. Everything had been so vivid then and so real that I doubt that this one might as well be another fantasy. Just like the last one. But only because the emotions I felt then still lingered past the huge lump in my throat and the hole that suddenly appeared in my heart.

_Our_ stillborn son. The peaceful look on his little cherub face will forever be branded in my mind. I will know that face among millions.

For he was our son - Wanda's and mine.

I shook my head at the absurdity of that thought. There is no little boy. None of that was real… Just figments of my overactive imagination that would immediately garner me an eight-by-eight padded cell in a mental ward if such thoughts were at all entertained.

And yet everything about it stirred something deep inside me that I couldn't quite explain. It was already improbable for Wanda to conceive for she was sterile... Yeah, that in itself was a hard pill to swallow. I've never pegged her to be the motherly type; but every now and then, I would see that familiar yearning in her eyes when she watched over Isaiah and Freedom. She has never mentioned it to either me or Mel but we both instinctively knew it to be true. So for her to have known she was irreversibly unable to become a true mother, that must have been a serious blow to her spirit. Just as it had been to my own hopes for the future.

I knew it was hard for her to grasp the finality of it by the way she immediately shrugged it off as a '_no biggie_'. Knowing her, she probably did it as much for my sake as well for her own. She knew I've always wanted a big family. I wouldn't want to subject my own children to what I had to go through having only one brother. Especially if that brother happened to be someone like Kyle.

Don't get me wrong. I love Kyle as a brother. _Sometimes_. That fact alone spared his life more times than I can count. The other times… Well, he's lucky I have Wanda as a buffer. There's really only so much that familial bonds can overcome, even when they all say that blood is thicker than water. And maybe there lies the problem. Perhaps I have already considered Wanda to be more family than Kyle. I would like to think so but knew it was too early to assume if she returned the sentiment. It was as she said - this changes nothing.

Maybe to her it didn't.

I ran a hand down my face to mentally stop myself from my inner ramblings. Come to think of it, when have I become my own therapist? I should just fire myself while I'm ahead.

"Ian."

The murmur of a soft, feminine voice brought me back to reality and I was immediately made aware that I wasn't alone in the room. Or in the bed, for that matter. Rolling over to look at the woman who lay prone beside me, two things caught my attention right away: one, she was still gloriously naked; and two, her smooth, supple skin had love marks all over it.

Okay, make it _three_ things… Because when I glanced down at my own skin, I saw that I bore the same love marks all over too. _Damn._

I couldn't help but chuckle as the events of last night came barreling through my consciousness again. Had the evidence not been so obvious in front of me, I would have thought that none of it had happened; that it had all been just a glimpse of an alternate universe in some other warped space and time. It was beautiful how we made love to each other the whole night. It was part carnal and wholly amazing. And damn if I knew where Wanda pulled all those moves from. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she had the entire Kamasutra memorized. Some of the positions she had us try out were even downright scary and it made me wonder if they'd even been legal back in the day. After that last round, I didn't think I'd ever be able to walk again... Or look at the shower head without blushing anymore.

Wanda had her back to me and I waited for her to move. Her even breathing told me she had probably mumbled in her sleep. The fact that she'd said my name without tensing or screaming must be a good sign that she's having a good dream about me. Well, at least one of us had a good dream about the other. I'm still having a hard time shaking off the remnants of mine.

Like a moth to a flame, I couldn't help myself from gently pulling her sleeping form closer to me; her bare back and bottom flushed against my bare chest and my already semi-erect appendage. (As if last night wasn't enough.) Slipping my arm underneath her neck, I cradled her head on my shoulder, and with my free hand, I ran my fingers through her skin, caressing each and every inch of her as I traced random patterns over it. Her skin felt so soft and yet I could feel the lean muscles underneath its silken exterior.

She was very much different from Andrea and I'm glad that it was so. Her choice of Hosts was a surprise. It was nothing like what we thought she would have chosen for herself. It just goes to show how much we still didn't know about Wanda. As much as that thought irked me, I'm glad we have a lifetime ahead of us to get to know each other. That is, if she still decides to stay with me.

Last night, we threw our cares out the window, allowing ourselves the freedom for the moment before tomorrow brought us back to reality. Unfortunately, tomorrow has finally arrived and with it, the uncertainty of our future.

It was a few minutes past before Wanda began to stir. She rolled over so she could face me. And when silver-lined aquamarine eyes finally met mine, I started to melt away again.

"Hey," I said, stroking a stray hair away from her beautiful face.

"Hi," she said with a smile, exposing that dimple on her left cheek. "What song were you humming?"

"Hmm?" _I've been humming?_

"Yeah and it had a very nice melody to it. What's the song called? What's it about?" she asked.

"Oh, that," I said, realizing that I wasn't as silent as I thought I was. "I'm not really sure what it's called. It's been too long since that song was ever in my head and I've never been too good with remembering titles. But it's just about this one guy who used to play the field, kept jumping from one flower to another. He was a player who could never settle on a single girl, preferring to screw the next dolt with a hole and a heartbeat."

Wanda raised a brow at me. "I have no clue what you just said but I'm going to take a wild guess and say it's the story of your life?"

I smiled sheepishly at her assumption. She has no idea. "Yeah, I guess you can say that."

"So how does the rest of the song go?"

"Well, he…um…" _ Asks the woman he was singing to, to be his wife. _"He… Well, he uh... The guy, I mean. He…"

She poked me playfully in the ribs. "Were you always this articulate in the morning?"

_Damn_, I hate being so ticklish. It only took a few passes of her delicate fingers against my skin before I started squirming in my side of the bed. When her playful poking became a full-blown, unrelenting assault on my nervous system, I quickly grabbed both her wrists and pinned them over her head. When she opened her mouth to complain, I immediately covered them with my own, ravishing her with kisses as though our lips weren't still swollen from last night's marathon.

Panting, I broke the kiss and looked at her through half-lidded eyes. "Try waking up to such a wonderful sight like I did and you'd just be as speechless, love."

She pretended to contemplate for a second before answering back. "Sleeping next to a mirror might not prove to be such a good idea for me. Not to mention, it's highly risky should I accidentally whack it while I slept."

"Were you always such a comedian in the morning?"

She gave out a hearty laugh. The vibration that shook her made us both realize what a compromising position we were on now. Knowing Wanda was probably still sore to partake in more vigorous activities, I reluctantly slid from on top of her and settled back on my side of the bed, settled on propping my head up on my elbow to look at her.

"Did you get enough sleep?" I asked.

She turned her body to face me too. "Yes I did. How about you?"

"Enough," I shrugged.

"That's good."

We lay there in silence for a few heartbeats, using the time to memorize each other's faces and enjoy the peace of the afterglow. It was moments like these that I really missed waking up next to her; where words didn't need to be exchanged, where our emotions were fully open for each other to see, where our hearts were most vulnerable. She looked at me straight in the eyes and I knew right then and there that regardless of what we did last night, I still had much explaining to do.

"Wanda," I started.

"Ian," she intoned.

"You know, umm... Well, before we, uh, how do you say this..." _Oh, what the hell. _I've worded this speech perfectly for the past three weeks and now I can't even seem to finish a single sentence.

_You were always such the orator,_ my inner voice commented.

'You're not helping.'

_Try saying 'You're sorry' for starters, _that voice suggested.

'Easy for you to say since she can't hear you,' I mumbled.

"What's that you just said? I didn't quite catch it," Wanda asked.

_Lovely. _Now I've been caught talking to myself. Knowing my conscience probably knew more than I did, I followed its advise and finally said, "I'm sorry."

She eyed me speculatively. "For what?"

I hate having to apologize. No matter the planning, it's always so difficult when you're actually saying the words. But it was time to swallow my pride; it was high time I did. "For the whole Andrea thing. I know we've had this conversation before and I admit, I handled it all wrong. I shouldn't have lashed out the way I did and being defensive about it. It's just... I honestly didn't know what to do back then. I was only hoping Andrea wouldn't come back and the whole thing would just blow over like it was nothing. But when she did, I sort of panicked. And... And... I'm really just sorry for everything."

"I forgive you," she simply said with a smile.

I blinked once, unsure if I'd heard her right. "Just like that? I mean, shouldn't you be mad at me for acting like a jerk and all that jazz?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why? Did you want me to?"

"Well, no, I suppose."

She leaned in and pecked me lightly on the nose. "Ian O'Shea, you said you're sorry and I forgave you. It's not in me to hold a grudge. The temptation is there but it's easily overruled by the true nature of what I am. I've had a long time to think about what happened and I understood why you kept it from me for so long. Because truthfully, it was the exact same reason why I couldn't tell Andrew about you. As much as we want things to be black and white, they just aren't. Things are more complicated than we want them to be. And I understand that now."

I've been speechless before and it didn't compare to what this moment just did to me. "So, um... Does this mean, you know..."

"Just spill it, Ian."

Without thought, I blurted, "Does this mean you don't regret anything about last night?"

"Is that what you're worried about? Why it seems as though a cat's got your tongue this morning?"

No use beating around the bush with this. "Just tell me. Please?"

She cupped my face with her palm. I leaned in to plant a chaste kiss there, assuring her that whatever answer she had, I would gladly accept it.

"The countless times I've said I love you should be proof enough that I don't regret any of it at all; that I enjoyed and cherished each and every single kiss we shared, every touch, every word spoken. Though they were all made during the heat of the moment, all of it had been real and true for me. The only thing that I do regret about it was not being able to have done any of it sooner. There was a lot of time wasted. So, no. I don't regret what happened last night. And I hope for your sake that you don't as well and that it wasn't merely lust for you."

I had to bite my cheek at her last statement. "Well, I honestly don't want to lie and say that that wasn't what triggered me to wait for you in the gym," I admitted. "But the lust quickly gave way to something else entirely and all too soon it became harder to distinguish which actions were borne out of love and which were the products of lust. Or, maybe even a combination of both. I only asked if you regretted what we did because you said that despite what would happen last night, it wouldn't change anything."

"True," she agreed, lying back down to stretch that glorious body of hers. My eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at the sight she presented. Then she continued, "I did say that. But that was before everything _did_ change. And I think it happened some time in between the gym and the shower. I'm not really sure how. I only said those words to guard my heart from being broken again. Even though it was such a feeble attempt, I had to at least try to erect some walls around it."

With my thumb and my forefinger, I tilted her chin towards me so I could gaze into those aquamarine orbs again. "Does that mean you're staying? With me?"

"I'll go where I'm most wanted. And if that happens to be where you are, then consider me the luckiest Soul on this planet."

I shook my head. "No, that's not reason enough. Stay with me because you _want_ to, and not because it's what _I_ want you to do. You don't always have to succumb to everyone else's desire, especially not mine. If I really was going to be selfish about this, I'd take you home with me right now regardless of what you wanted and regardless of the fact your people here need you. I can see you're happy here and they treat you with all the respect and kindness that your kind is used to. This is where you clearly belong and if you decided to choose this over anything else, I will show you how much I love you by letting you go." I leaned in closer and pressed my lips on her forehead. "I can be altruistic too."

"Lucky for you, Mr. O'Shea, we don't have to test that theory now, do we?" she teased.

"I'm trying to be serious here, Wanda."

"And so am I. Look, it may be hard for you to believe but I really do want to go home with you. Despite all the comforts of this place, it doesn't feel like home. Whether the people here are, what you say, kind and respectful, they're not family. Even if it seems they need me here, I know I can be more help to the people back there in caves. And that's where I want to be - with you and the people I've come to call my family. Now," she added, wrapping her arms around my neck, "kiss me again or get off the bed."

"Wha?"

She chuckled. "Give me a kiss or get off the bed. It's a saying I've picked up from Rob."

I immediately felt a pang of jealousy wash through me. "Rob, the arse, said that to you?" I practically growled.

"Not those exact words, silly. Every time I'm undecided about something, he'd always tell me to '_Shit or get off the pot._' I was flabbergasted when I first heard it. But when he explained what it really meant, I admit it made sense in his messed up sort of way."

I shook my head with a laugh, "Of all the people to learn something from."

"But what's it going to be, love?" she purred.

"Honey, you don't have to ask me twice." With that, I grabbed the back of her head with one hand, wrapped the other around her waist and claimed her lips in a heated, passionate kiss that left both of us panting for air. She moaned when my mouth trailed kisses across her jaw; gasped when I licked and tasted her as I made my way to her ear to nibble her lobe.

My heart started thrumming wildly against my chest when she slowly pushed me on my back and moved her hips to straddle me, planting her core right above my entire length. I had to grip her thighs to behave when she started undulating her hips in such an erotic fashion. With a sly grin, she leaned down to capture my mouth again.

That was when the dastardly phone suddenly rang.

She sat back up and stared at the loud contraption as if it was some alien thing. How ironic that thought was.

"Ignore it," I said, pulling her down to my chest again.

"But who would be calling us here?" she asked, resisting against my pull.

"Don't know, don't care. Just ignore it and maybe it'll stop ringing. It's probably just someone who dialed the wrong room number."

She was still skeptical but the phone went silent after a few more rings.

Grinning, I said, "See?"

"Huh. That was strange."

I pulled her down to me again and this time, she didn't struggle against my hold. "Now where were we before we were rudely interrupted?" I asked, nuzzling her neck as I brushed her hair away to give me better access to it. She purred when I started to suck on her pulse point, dug her nails on my shoulders as her body shuddered from the pleasure that little action was giving her. I reached in between us to cup one of her breasts in my palm while I let my other hand roam down her back towards her shapely mounds.

Then the _fucking_ phone decided to ring again.

Cursing, I gently pushed us both up and reached for the receiver.

Before I got the chance to open my mouth and answer the call, the person on the other end spoke, "O'Shea. Good, you're awake."

It took me a couple heartbeats to connect the voice with a face. Jared.

Grumbling, "How did you know I was here?"

"All of us can hear the two of you go at it all night long. Even those in the next building over knew where you were and what you've been doing," he said dryly.

_Fuck. _I hadn't realized we were that loud. I locked gazes with Wanda and immediately found my cheeks start to heat up in embarrassment.

Jared added with a snort, "Easy, tiger, I was just messing with you."

I chanced a glance at the alarm clock beside the bed and noted it was almost noon. No wonder he's been calling. Probably anxious as to where the hell I've been last night. Raking my fingers through my hair, I said, "Whatever. What do you want?"

"Sorry to interrupt your little honeymoon over there - okay, maybe not really - but something's come up and we need both of you up to the Core right away. Rob uncovered something a few hours ago and, let's just say, we got some good news and some bad news."

Suddenly on alert mode, I asked, "Tell me over the phone. This is a secure line, right?"

"It is. But it would be better if you and Wanda we're both here in person to hear it. It has something to do with what happened to Mel almost three years ago."

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A/N: Now I know why it took forever to write this chapter… I so suck at writing fluff. :P LOL You guys know the drill...**

**B y the way, anyone wanna guess the song that Ian was humming to Wanda? Technically this song only came out this year but I thought it apropos to their current situation.**


	27. Chicago

**A/N: (holds hands over ears to muffle the angry shouts directed at me for taking effing long to update) LOL **

**I know...I know. I really do feel bad about it. Writing just hasn't been coming easy for me lately. Plus, I just went on an amazing three-week vacation with my entire family (that's including my parents, my four elder sisters, their husbands and all our kids - that's 22 people all in all under one roof). Needless to say, my parents were misty-eyed the whole time as they watched all their kids and grandkids celebrate the Christmas season together. **

**So, anyway, to my faithful reviewers, I hope Santa also gave you an extra special present this holiday. My wish for lots of hugs, love, kisses and mountains of presents go out to:**alkmin5, pixieangel3000, xXDreamWriterXx, Ponypal95, booky-true-false-identity, Sarah strider, CherryBlip, Holding Infinity, Shebert88, WhitePrincessOfHope, anonymous-affiliate, fangbangaholic, xXblaahhXx, Heidi9898, Wadjett, bellan3, IlAuNv , soccerfreak12345 , IanOsheaand rozaveRnB. **You all made my Christmas even better than it possible could!**

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**Jared POV**

**"**Huh. Interesting."

Ten sets of eyes turned towards the half-Asian, half-German genius who had been running his fingers feverishly through the keyboard for the past four hours since I'd been here this morning.

All of us had retired to our rooms, a little after two in the morning the previous night (or today, if one wanted to be technical about it), after countless hours of exhaustive research and planning for the eventual acquisition of the Waldorf-Astoria in Florida for our cell. It wasn't until we'd hit a brick wall in trying to find out what the Seeker situation was in that State did we all decide to call it a night. As much I wanted to keep on going, I had to admit that my brain was equally fried. Any amount of prodding on it would only result in turning it further into mush.

Fortunately, Mel had allowed me back into her bed last night despite her earlier promise of making me bunk with Ian for not defending her to Andrew. It would have been a futile attempt to placate her back then. When she got all riled up like that, she was as stubborn as all Stryder's went, and no amount of reasoning would get through to her. That is, until I had her pinned on the bed under me, moaning and writhing with every breath of our bodies. Then, she would forget what had irked her in the first place the moment she reached her first orgasm. Make up sex was always pleasurable between us, and definitely had its merits most of the time.

Now here we both were - actually, make that everyone else, sans Ian and Wanda - buried in mounds and mounds of blueprints, computer printouts and piles of empty coffee cups (though we had access to quantities of 'Awake', most of us still preferred the rich taste of pure, black coffee on our tongues over inhaling some kind of air freshener) littered over every inch of available flat surface, strategizing each and every move for the acquisition and making sure we left no stone unturned.

Rob must have uncovered something significant over the night that had him pounding unrelentingly on the keyboard. Or at the very least, he must have come up with a hunch as to how to punch a hole through that metaphorical brick wall that had us stumped a few hours ago.

"And what, pray tell, has finally caught your interest? Some porn site on the internet that the Souls haven't discovered yet?" Andrew drawled, not even bother looking up from the Hotel's Main Lobby blueprints he had been examining.

Rob gave a derisive snort. "I wish but, unfortunately, no. Take a look at this and tell me if there isn't something off about it," he said as he uploaded two personal bios onto the 50-inch monitor in front of us.

The first one was of Lacy. We had informed them about the Seeker we extracted from her a couple months ago. Odd that he would pull up her information now. Even odder was the fact that the demographics that flashed alongside her name and picture, were not of Lacy, or of the Seeker's who, hopefully, was already eons of light years away, but something, or someone else's entirely. It didn't even show any indication that she had been a Seeker or that anyone had reported her missing at all. It only showed her current address and other meaningless information that seemed out of place and curiously inconsistent with what little we knew about Lacy and the Seeker. This bio was clean as a whistle and suspiciously scrubbed of anything useful.

The other, was Wanda's. Well, technically, it was the bio of the Host she currently inhabits and the Soul, Silent-Breeze, who had been the original Soul implanted into her. Once again, there was nothing pertinent to whatever it was we needed.

"What are we looking at here?" Nate asked curiously.

Rob rolled his eyes as if we were a bunch of idiots who could only see a bunch of letters and numbers on the screen and failing miserably at seeing the words they formed. "Notice how both of them were once employed by 'staffing' agencies at one point? Somewhere around the time the Souls started taking over the planet? Yeah...around five or six years ago, roughly. Now when I checked the addresses of both those agencies, look what I found..."

He punched several keys, hit Enter, and two more windows instantly appeared on the screen in front of the women's bios. Just some more letters and numbers that didn't mean anything again. At least, that's what the majority of us initially thought.

It was when Rob pointed out their addresses did he manage to elicit a reaction from us. That is, if palpable silence and indisputable shock were the reactions he had been expecting to get with his discovery. He wasn't disappointed when a knowing smirk suddenly covered his youthful face.

Although both women were employed by different agencies, those companies had the exact same address in Chicago. Even the phone and fax numbers were identical. Better yet, those agencies that had once employed thousands had now been reduced to less than a hundred employees in a span of only six years.

The little git was right; this definitely rang a million bells of alarm. Others had began to curse while a handful, including myself, blurted '_how is that possible?_' or '_what does that mean?_' questions at the same time. Each of us had our own suspicions but none of us wanted to acknowledge what we feared could be the only logical answer to this puzzle.

The million-and-one bell of alarm rang when I chanced a glance at Melanie and saw that she had paled to an unearthly shade of white, her hands clutched tightly against the sides of the table she'd been working at as if she was trying to hold on for her dear life. Or for her sanity.

"She was there," she mumbled, her eyes unblinking and unfocused, "in Chicago. I don't know how I know this. I just have a gut feeling about it. The Seekers who chased me down the elevator shaft..."

Undeniable pain immediately shot through me like a bucket of ice water being unceremoniously dumped on my head as memories of an ill-forgotten past threatened to break through the surface again. _What the hell is she saying..._

"There were four of them, I think. I only remember the shapes of their silhouettes. One kept warning me that danger was ahead. A female. Her voice was different back then; it strongly hinted of some foreign accent," she continued without glancing at any of us.

I tried to catch her attention. "What are trying to say, Mel? That the Soul that was extracted from Wanda's Host happens to be that of a Seeker? And not just _any _Seeker...but one of the ones who _fucking_ took you away from me?" My voice had risen to a dangerous level by now. My blood pressure wasn't faring any better too.

_Fucking hell_, if that was the case.

"That doesn't make a load of sense!" Nate interjected from beside me.

Rob's Cheshire-cat grin was unmistakable, making it painfully obvious that this was the opening he'd been waiting for. "On the contrary, my dear Watson, this confirms my suspicions about our inability to secure any type of information about these Seekers. You see there," he said, inclining his head to the central screen, "though Souls are naturally trusting creatures towards each other, they, however, are not so when it comes to humans. They are well aware that _wild_ humans, namely us - though I think that term only applies to me and my abilities in bed - are still prevalent in this planet, albeit hidden beyond the outskirts of civilized society. They realize, that while they unerringly trust their own kind, they still fear the possibility of their information systems to be easily hacked by these so-called 'rogues'; thus, detaching classified data, such as the entire dossier on Seekers, from the general world wide web, replacing it with misleading information in its stead."

After a brief pause when no one said anything, he added, "I'm guessing they have this information hidden in a secured location somewhere. Probably in the heart of major cities where Souls are abundant and no human would be crazy enough to penetrate."

"Somewhere out there, pigs have sprouted wings and are in the process of learning to fly. Because for the first time ever, I would have to agree with you, kid," Andrew said with mild enthusiasm. "I believe you may be on to something with this."

Wolf and Burns, the Soul who Ian had already dubbed 'the Redhead' - or 'Red', for short - both shook their heads in disagreement. Red spoke up, "I don't think that's the case. If it is, that would have been part of our orientation before coming to this planet in the first place. They would have told us something about it."

Rob shrugged. "Maybe they only offered that kind of information to those who felt their true calling was to be a Seeker? Need-to-know stuff or some garbage of the sort. Like I said, that's just my guess that's why we've all been unsuccessful at gathering any sort of intelligence on them. Maybe only a true Seeker would know anything about it. More so, where to find it."

"_Wanda_."

The whisper soft voice was almost indecipherable but we all knew what was said and who had said it.

Everyone turned to look at Mel.

Her eyes - although seemingly more focused now, somewhat mirrored a combination of fear with some degree of...I daresay, hope? - were locked on me. "Maybe she still has some trace knowledge about the Soul who previously occupied her body. Maybe she can confirm Rob's suspicions and get us a lead on this for once."

"She's been injected with 'Erase' - well, the Host was, I mean. It's highly improbable that she still retained such classified information," Wolf said with a shake of his head.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But if Rob's right, this classifies as good news in my book knowing it's a complete step up from continuously being kept in the dark about these damn Seekers. Or anything regarding their lot, for that matter," I retorted. "The only problem would be convincing Ian to let us use her for a mission like this. Knowing that overprotective buffoon, he'd probably tell us all to go straight to hell. "

Mel snorted. "Ian's not the boss of her. And _knowing_ Wanda, she'll volunteer _even if _we don't ask her."

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**Wanda POV**

The announcement Jared had made about the Soul who initially inhabited this Host - as being one of the four Seekers who'd chased Melanie down the elevator shaft back in Chicago - was something that Ian and I had not expected. Much less, anticipated.

The moment we arrived at the Core, they dumped the news on us without much preamble. Our bodies froze, jaws dropped, eyes shot wide in shock. _How? What? When? Where? Why? _All these questions instantly popped up in my head, making me dizzy from trying to separate one from the other. But as realization struck, all those got wiped out and were immediately replaced by one single thought...

Melanie.

I thought she would have shown some anger towards me having known that about my Host. Instead, she grabbed me into a fierce hug and assured me that this didn't change anything.

"It's okay, Wanda," she said, holding my hand as I slumped into a chair when my knees started to buckle. "It wasn't you and it wasn't your Host. The Seeker responsible for what happened to me is long gone..." She looked up and glanced towards Andrew. "Right?"

Andrew gave her a short nod.

Satisfied, she continued, "And besides...well, not to be morbid or anything, but had it not been for her, I wouldn't have met you. None of us would have. And most importantly, if not for her, we wouldn't have been able to get this chance to help our family back in the caves."

She quickly told me about Rob's findings, his theories and their tentative plan of action. When she got to the part about the mission...my reaction was automatic.

They should already know by now that I would do anything within my power to help out; even for a task that was as risky and dangerous as this, notwithstanding. Besides, I needed to do this for Mel. It was the least I could do for what she had to go through because of me. Standing up, I grabbed hold of Ian's hand and said, "I'll do it."

"_What_?" he whipped his head around and snapped at me; the sound was a deafening shriek in this proximity and I instinctively found myself dropping my hand from his tightening grip and stepping away from him. Apparently, that was the wrong thing to do. His glare turned even more ferocious; dangerous, to say the least. "Like hell, you will! That's a suicide mission and I'd rather damn everyone first if they think I'll let you do this."

There was no mistaking the vein that had started throbbing in his temple. It was unnerving to see Ian get all worked up like this. In this state, it was hard to think that this was the same man who had made love to me mere hours ago and had shown me a softer side of him that was beyond any mere lust-induced fantasy. Last night, his touch was gentle and his words were from the heart. _That_ Ian was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my lifetime with.

_This_ Ian succinctly reminded me of the man who had wrapped his fingers around my throat when I had first arrived at the caves in Mel's body. _This_ Ian - the fierce protector - scared me. And though it's not in my true nature as a Soul, his possessiveness still managed to annoy me a little that he didn't trust me enough for this. Plus, this was getting just a tad bit redundant; if not, ridiculous.

But despite the fact that he was probably thinking of locking me inside a room and throwing away the key right about now, I forced myself to stand my ground. "You know I'm the only one who can do this. Ian, please. We've had this conversation before and I'm tired of having to convince you otherwise every single time I'm needed. So unless you have a better idea, there really isn't any other choice. If Rob is right, think about what it'll mean for your kind."

"And what if he isn't? Then what? It'll be all for nothing. _Nothing_! You're risking your neck and possibly endangering everyone here. And all for what? A hunch?" he countered.

"So you would rather sit back and be content with damning everyone in the caves? Never moving forward, forever stuck underneath mountains of stone, living every day trying to survive as if it's our last? Is that what you really want, O'Shea?" Jared challenged. "Whenever we get a chance to do something about our pitiful way of life, you can't seem to keep yourself from shoving your head up your ass. Stop being so selfish and think about someone else for once!"

"I _am _thinking of someone else! I'm thinking about her, for _fuck's_ sake! I think about her safety first before anything else! That should be obvious by now!"

Jared snorted. "Oh, quit deluding yourself. It's not only her you're really worried about, is it? It's '_how you'd be able to deal with the thought of losing her'_ that's got your panties all tied up in a bunch. Your paranoia is too much that you can't even see past the horse blinds around your head."

"Get bent, Howe," Ian growled. "You don't know what it's like to almost lose someone. And unlike you, I don't go around sacrificing people _'for the greater good_', like they're some disposable pawns in this proverbial chess game, just to check if your theories are correct."

Jared stiffened and the silence that echoed throughout the room was deafening in its wake. "You're right. I don't know how it feels like to _almost _lose someone because I only know how it feels like to _actually do._ And as to making those damn hard decisions for us, consider yourself lucky that you've got someone here who has enough balls to make them for you!"

Mel gently laid a hand on his arm to persuade him to calm down a bit. Thank goodness for small favors, his countenance immediately changed as he placed his own hand on top of hers. But his sienna eyes remained locked on Ian, probably hoping to burn a hole right through him. If looks could kill, his stare would have made a dead man out of him.

Ian refused to back down. "Okay, Sherlock. Say your hunch is correct and the Souls are definitely hiding this information somewhere. Where, in the name of all that's holy, are we supposed to start looking for this so-called 'classified information'? What? You don't even know where to start, do you? So basically you're speaking hypothetically here which amounts to a load of horse manure, in my opinion. Unless, of course, you were planning on sending her to every single building in town to try and hack their databases for it and pray we get lucky and stumble upon it like a needle in a haystack?"

"No. Not all. Just one...the library." I didn't know how I knew this but for some insane reason, I just did. It was like my mouth acted on instinct without my brain commanding it to do so.

A collective gasp blew out from everyone's mouths. The loudest came from me.

Ian turned around to look at me; his eyes were narrowed as they leveled me with a calculating stare. "How-"

He didn't have to finish his sentence before I shook my head and said, "Don't ask. I'm trying to figure that out myself. I honestly don't even know where that answer came from." Before he would have a reason to panic, I quickly added, "And no, no one is trying to force their consciousness back into this body, if that's what you're thinking. I just happen to blurt out the first thing that came to mind. I suppose - this is just my guess - the closest analogy to it could be comparable to the ease that our kind can adapt to any given planet by assimilating the traits and knowledge that have already been previously ingrained into the specie's main information storage center within themselves – in this case, the human brain. If it's already there, then we automatically have access to it, regardless if there is another consciousness still inside that being or not. How I knew the answer would be the same as how I knew how to do all those yoga moves to begin with. Or simply, how all of us automatically knew how to converse using our Host's native language and do all those things our Hosts have been able to do."

Rob snickered. "Now why didn't any of us think about that sooner? Oh...right. We didn't know any Seekers willing to do this, now did we?"

Jared swiftly schooled his shocked expression and replaced it with a smirk directed at Ian. "I guess you just got your answer, O'Shea."

Ian shook his head stubbornly. "I'm not buying it. Just because Wanda mumbles some random place out of her mouth doesn't mean it's the right answer."

"I have a gut feeling that _that_ may be the best possible answer though, given the Soul's penchant for organization and doing what's most obvious." Andrew piped in. "It's an inconclusive fact but the library seems to be the most logical place to start. If she's wrong about this, then we can always go back to the drawing board, scratch this idea altogether and approach this acquisition from a different angle."

Everyone eyed Ian speculatively, waiting for his response on the matter. From the tensing of his muscles, I could tell he was clearly thinking of a counterargument to Andrew's rationalization. I could almost hear the debate going on in his mind by the scrunching of his brows and the tensing of his jaw. So when he ran frustrated hands through his ink-black hair and huffed a sigh of annoyance, I then knew he'd finally come to realize the merits that this one task would bring.

"Fine. But I'm going with her," he said through clenched teeth.

"That's not your decision to make, sport," Nate interjected. "As much as we appreciate your bravado on the matter, I think it would be best to let Wanda do this with another Soul. Sending a human with her would be too dangerous, should anything happen. Not that I'm not confident she'd be able to pull this off without a hitch. I'm just saying that having a Soul with her would lessen the risk factor just a bit. More so, you've cooped yourself up inside the van the entire duration of the past raid, refusing to step foot outside and interact with the Souls. Do you really trust yourself not to fuck up when it comes to her?" he asked, raising his brow for emphasis.

"Then who did you have in mind? Redhead over there?" Ian glared, pointing a finger at Burns, who quietly sat in the corner, observing and taking everything in silent scrutiny.

Andrew shook his head. "Not Burns. As much as I deem him more than capable of guarding Wanda in this mission, I prefer to keep him as inconspicuous as possible from the public, especially around this city; regardless of how _big_ this Apple is. He's the face that runs this Hotel. I don't want any of our kind, not associated with Waldorf, to be seen with him outside of this place. Too risky. And yes, I'm _that_ paranoid. He can go somewhere really far where no one would regard him as much, but definitely not somewhere too close to home."

"Blaze, then?" Ian suggested. Rather enthusiastically, I might add (or as enthusiastic as one could be given the only choices available). Although I have a feeling there's a reason why he's more acceptable to this choice than with Burns. Maybe, perhaps, it's the fact that the guy was already married to one of the hottest women here and would pose no threat to our relationship? _Silly man_. On second thought, silly _me_ for thinking such things.

"We're trying to blend in, not advertise our presence. With Blaze's Herculean size, those Souls are bound to notice. You might as well plaster a billboard sign on him with a bull's eye that screams 'Look at me! I'm up to no good good!' while you're at it."

Ian crossed his lean arms around his well-defined chest and huffed. "Who, then?"

"Wolf." Andrew supplied with a nod at the rather handsome man, who sat languidly on the couch beside him and had both hands crossed behind his head. A smirk was plastered on his face that could only be described as that befitting his namesake - _wolfish_. "I've trusted him with my life. He's well versed with guard dog duty, more than anyone I've ever known, in fact."

"Woof!" Wolf drawled, earning a snicker or two from the assembled crowd. His tone had seemed playful enough. But when I glanced at him and our gazes locked, he purposefully ran his tongue over his dry lips. There was a hungry glint in his eyes – something akin to a hunter when eyeing its prey – that caused me to blush an unnatural shade of red, making me shift uncomfortably where I stood. I bit my lower lip and discreetly drew behind Ian before anyone noticed my skin had started to flush.

Ian apparently witnessed the unwelcome attention from the other male and didn't appreciate the little action at all because he growled an angry, "Aw, hell no!"

Andrew tsk'ed. "Come on, Ian. You should know that Wolf is just messin' with you. Right?" he said, at the same time shooting the other man a warning glare; which, of course, he'd merely brushed off with a lazy shrug and a chuckle in response. "He's been hanging around Rob too much, he's clearly been corrupted."

Rob scoffed. "Uh-huh. Blame it on the innocent kid, why don't you?"

"Innocent, my ass. That word definitely does not belong in your vocabulary," Andrew said with a wave of his hand.

"You're not exactly sporting a halo yourself, _boss_," he countered, emphasizing the last part. "In fact, none of us do. But as for me...at least I'm fond and more than proud of the horns on top of my head. They make me rather..._horny_." Rob reached over his head to rub the invisible horns in a lascivious manner.

"And very much repressed," Wolf added, sniggering at the kid. There were a few chuckles that rang out in the room. I swear, the Souls around here were really something else.

"Oh, bugger off. There's no need to go there," Rob pouted.

Jared rubbed the bridge of his nose as though he was getting a migraine. "Focus, children. Let's get back on topic, shall we? Or should I call a timeout to give you all some time to summon some semblance of maturity first?"

Andrew cleared his throat to capture everyone's attention. All eyes immediately went to him. "He's right. This is a serious matter and we should all treat it as such." When Andrew imposed his authoritative voice, everyone - Rob included - instantly sobered up. He then turned to Jared. "Brief them both on the mission and we'll convene here in two hours. They should be ready to go by this afternoon..."

When Ian looked like he was about to protest again, I ran my hand down his arm and entwined our fingers together. Tugging him to get his attention, I gave him a pleading look when his eyes finally met mine.

"Please, Ian. Will you trust me on this?" I whispered.

It was a couple seconds, or maybe it had been an eternity, before he pursed his lips into a thin line and let out a defeated sigh. "I- I trust you," he whispered back. He released my hand to wrap both his arms around my shoulders. I snaked my own around his waist and gave him a brief squeeze. Leaning his forehead against my hair, he said, "It's just him I don't trust."

I pulled back slightly to look at him. "Jealous now, are we?"

He snorted indelicately. "Just protecting what's mine, love."

"Overprotective buffoon," I muttered, rolling my eyes before leaning my head against his hard chest. His intoxicating scent of musk and man wreaked havoc to my senses and I couldn't stop myself from taking deep breaths to inhale as much of him as I could. Without thought, I shifted the angle of my head a bit and leaned closer to nip the little bud on his right peck.

He growled under his breath. "Keep that up, sweetheart, and the only mission that'll be happening today is the missionary position you'll be finding yourself in."

I had to stifle the giggle that almost escaped my mouth.

"...Everyone else," Andrew continued through our quiet exchange, "let's plan logistics and make sure Wanda and Wolf don't run into any problems while they're in there. If there are any questions, figure them out yourselves. If you've survived up to this point, I'm sure you're resourceful enough to get your own answers. Now, move!"

The majority muttered a quick '_yes, si_r' and immediately went back to their posts to start working on their own assignments for this small, yet rather complex mission. Jared and Wolf made their way over to us after having had a quick word with Andrew.

"Ready?" Jared asked as soon as he reached my side. The question was directed at me but his sienna eyes were still narrowed on Ian.

I gave Ian one last squeeze before breaking away from the shelter of his hold. When I did, I immediately felt the absence of his warmth had left me cold in the pits of my stomach. And suddenly, I was feeling so alone.

Taking a deep breath, I was about to say '_I'm ready'_ when he pulled me back into his arms and slammed his lips into mine, kissing me with blinding, demanding passion.

The burst of heat inside my body was instantaneous, rapidly burning me where our skins touched. His smooth lips were still swollen from this morning and still tasted of a heady mixture of peppermint and ambrosia. Undaunted by the presence of an audience, my hands moved of their own accord to cup the back of his head and wove its digits through his jet-black hair, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. A moan left my lips when his evident arousal started to press against my belly as he gently ran his hands down the small of my back and cupped the area where my hips and legs connected. "Ian,..." I gasped.

An uncomfortable cough suddenly pulled me out of the haze that his scorching kiss had momentary blanketed us in.

I immediately opened my eyes and stilled, abruptly reminded that we weren't alone in the room, as the figures of Jared and Wolf appeared out of the corner of my eye, matching smirks plastered on their faces. Ian brushed his lips against mine before planting one last tender kiss and ended the connection. Out of breath, he leaned his head against mine but didn't let go. "Now," he rasped, pinning me with his sapphire eyes. "Now, you're ready."

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**A/N (again): Correction to my A/N on the chapter before this...I've tweaked the story a bit so now I've extended it to 30 chapters instead of the projected 29. Hope you're not too disappointed with the change. ;) Let's just say, when I write out the plot, I didn't realize single sentences could end up becoming whole chapters of dialogue and such.**

**Anyway...review, please. 320 already...Wow! I'm humbled by it. Thank you soo much for hanging on with me this entire ride. We're almost there!**


	28. One Step Closer

**Chapter 28: One Step Closer**

**A/N: um…..yeah. LOL**

**Initially, I was going to split this freakishly long chapter into two smaller ones but thought better of it. Sacrificing the integrity of the story for the sake of being able to post two updates to get more reviews really didn't sit well with me. So I apologize in advance if this seemed too long for you. For someone who had a really bad case of writer's block, it sure came as a surprise that this ended up almost double in word count than my usual 3-5K. Oh well, the more the merrier, right?**

**Anyway, since it's been way too long since my last update, the least I can do is give you all a quick recap of this story just to jog your memories a bit.**

_Wanda unknowingly gets herself implanted into Ian's ex-girlfriend's body. She didn't find out about that fact until Nate's group stumbled upon their cell on her first raid in her new host and someone had recognized her as a famous celebrity. She gets into an argument with Ian and leaves with Nate's cell where she meets up with her long, lost twin brother. She gets herself implanted into another body when her human host had started to make an appearance. Loose ends are tied on that front and Ian ends up in bed with Wanda and her new body. But now, it was time to look for ways for their own cell to take back some degree of freedom that they had lost to the Souls. And the answers seemed to lie in New York..._

**I hope that summary/recap was good enough. **

**Once again, without the kind and encouraging words from these amazing individuals, I would have abandoned this story long ago. So thank them too for making this update possible. Or not. LOL All my love to: **.Ian, alkmin (_thanks so much for your help and constructive reviews_!), booky-true-false-identity, CherryBlip, xXDreamWriterXx (_thanks for all the support! Your encouraging words go a looong way. And gives me a kick in the butt to update sooner LOL_), cOn Bites, Dizzien, JasperSaysChillax, Alexandra13, Sandpiper86, Sammicakes, Daddys little crazy bitch, DisneyVampire, and Nekomata-17. **And also to **_Sarah strider_ **for keeping me entertained with all your Portuguese reviews/messages. Yes, you all ROCK!**

**Okay…I ramble too much. So, without further ado…  
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**Wanda POV**

Wolf and I had been crouched down behind a low bush for the better part of the last half hour, surveying the block where the library stood across the street in front of us. New York city's biggest and most well-known public library, the "Humanities and Social Science Library" - also referred to as "Main Branch" - was a white, gargantuan building, situated on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue. Two massive, stone lions guarded the front steps to the entrance like monolithic sentinels; perhaps, symbolisms of a more profound nature? Or, were they simply put there for artistic purposes? With those humans, a Soul can only guess.

Numerous people - or should I say, Souls? - and various standalone food and souvenir stalls milled along the steps and the general area of the library. All of them, going about their days, living their lives as normal humans used to do. A seemingly picturesque scene to the casual observer; if said observer didn't have a care in the world, that is.

I guess it was a good thing that some of us still did.

"$ % & #!"

Wolf's curses rang out like the dragging of nails across a blackboard; sharp, shrill sounds traveled through the concealed earpieces we wore, piercing painfully through our eardrums. And it didn't help that he was right beside me at the moment, too.

Before we left for this 'mission', Andrew had outfitted Wolf and I with our own earpiece and a hidden camera camouflaged into our accessories. Mine was built into the locket of my necklace while Wolf's camera was actually one of the links of his surgical steel chain around his neck. Our earpieces were colored nude and inconspicuous enough that they blended seamlessly with our ear. But if anyone asked, we were instructed to simply tell them these were the new wireless in-ear earphones in the market and were available over at the nearest Best Buy store. I initially wondered why I needed to know that but Andrew simply said that those small things resembled old-school hearing aids and it wouldn't make sense for anyone to be sporting one now especially when the Souls have already figured out a way to cure such disability. Which made sense...sort of, I think.

Not wanting to alert others of our presence - especially when we were trying our best to merge with the flora and fauna around us - I shoved my hand up against his mouth. "Shhh! Don't tell me that something as inane as a mosquito bite has got you cursing up a thunderstorm? It's not even a bee sting! I'm sure you'll live. So perhaps you can keep the curses to a minimum or did you intentionally want to catch everyone's attention?" I admonished, though rather inaudibly.

"Those bloodsuckers are ruthless, mind you!" Wolf mumbled against my hand. But when I kept it there to make sure he remained hushed, he had the audacity to lick my palm.

"Ew!" I yelped, wiping the moisture back into his shirt. "I can't believe you just did that."

His response was a wink in my direction accompanied by a hyena-like snicker. Obviously, he had no compunction over doing something so disgusting.

A low growl sounded in my ear.

Wolf snorted indelicately. "And _they_ call me 'Wolf'. A growl like that can give me a run for my money. How about keeping a leash on your human, Wanda? That temper of his is getting annoying."

I shook my head and groaned in blatant exasperation.

Ian's voice came through the earpiece. "_Well, apparently, someone is in need of a reminder_." His tone was not too amused.

It was Wolf's turn to roll his amber eyes. "No reminders needed, thank you very much! Consider me effectively warned, Mr. O'Shea. I doubt there's a part of my anatomy that you haven't thoroughly threatened with bodily harm yet. Even the hairs on my balls are wetting themselves right now for having a death threat hanging over their imaginary heads."

"_Then I suggest you keep all your appendages to yourself unless you refuse to acknowledge any credence of those aforementioned threats_."

"S'not my fault your girlfriend can't keep her hands off of me…or my mouth."

"Wolf," I sighed in a pleading tone. "Don't antagonize him. Besides, need I remind you that they-" (referring to the people back at the Core) "-can see and hear everything we do?"

"He started it-"

"Or _at least_," I interjected, "not until after we're done getting what we came here for. Please. Besides, what is up with you guys that you seem to enjoy continually trying to get a rise out of each other?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, it's nothing to worry your pretty little self with. If you must know, when a bunch of human males get together, it triggers some sort of innate primal instinct within them that causes them to puff up their chests and argue who has the bigger whatever. You know, kinda like peacocks and their feathers. Having a human Host doesn't exempt me from that. And truthfully, I just happen to like the color red and for some odd reason, I find it quite amusing seeing Ian's skin getting all mottled with it."

"..." Uh, how was I supposed to respond to that?

"_Concentrate, Wolf_," Andrew snapped at him through the earpiece. "_Now is not the time or place to be having a Discovery channel discussion. Finish scoping out the area and get your ass moving! Time is not our friend here._"

"My apologies, Andrew," I quickly blurted out. "It won't happen again. Wolf was probably sensing that I was nervous about what we're about to do that he was only trying to calm me by talking about things that would take my mind off of it." It really wasn't a sufficient excuse but it held some degree of truth in it, nonetheless. Despite my brave facade, I really was a nervous wreck inside.

Not waiting for a response from him or for Wolf to correct and claim the blame himself, I swallowed my fear and braced myself for the inevitable. I stood and walked around the bushes we'd been hiding in and stepped into the pavement.

Wolf grabbed my arm and yanked me back, warning me to stay hidden while he scoped the surroundings first and made sure the coast was clear. Surprisingly after only a few moments' pause, I was only too happy to oblige. Though I claimed to have more than an adequate amount of skill to fulfill this mission, all that was thrown out the window the moment Jared had ran the plan by us. Had Ian not been in the room then, I might have considered backing out and claim temporary insanity for having agreed to it in the first place. Ian was right but I wasn't about to admit that to him yet or try to renege on my word. Especially when it was already too late to do anything about it anyway. I simply had to suck in all the courage I can muster and just go through with it.

It only took Wolf a few seconds to scan our surroundings before he signaled back to me that the coast was clear - in other words, no Seekers or those sporting the standard garb of the police force was around. Which was rather unnecessary when we all knew that Seekers have long moved on from New York when 'seeking' had suddenly become an extinct occupation in these overpopulated cities and 'policemen' were not needed as much except to help on emergencies. And those happened few and far between nowadays.

"_Good luck_," Ian's deep voice broke through our earpiece again. "_I lo_-" he started to say but somehow stopped himself. "_Take care_," he said instead.

"I will. Thanks." _And I love you, too. _I added in my mind.

We ambled silently across the street, maneuvering our way through pedestrians, tourist stands and various carts offering a plethora of edible treats. The aroma of an authentic NY-style hotdog wafted through my nose, tickling my olfactory senses into high alert. My eyes immediately darted towards the hotdog vendor's cart where more than a dozen people have already lined up behind. My tummy grumbled on instinct but I shrugged it off. Food should be the last thought on my mind right now. Add that to the nerves and the pavement underneath us would not like me too much.

When we reached the top of the steps, I extended a tremulous hand towards the handle and paused…

It was only natural to have a moment of hesitation when you're about to step one foot through that proverbial door of the unknown. Dragging the rest of your body in was only slightly harder. But now wasn't the time to be thinking of metaphorical objects when I, myself, was standing right outside the library's ten-foot high solid oak double doors. Oh, the irony of it all.

Later, I would chastise myself for the hesitation. But for now... Now was not the time to be a coward. Or was it really cowardice that scared me? I wasn't too sure. Call it a gut feeling but somehow, I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen behind these doors. Would it be something good, or perhaps something bad?

Shaking my head, I brushed the ludicrous thought aside and pulled the doors open.

Miles high of white marble and rock greeted us and we barely were able to hold back our combined _Aah's_ of appreciation at the opulence of the place. But before we could have a few more moments to take in our surroundings, Jared's voice drifted through the earpiece.

"_Remember, if you can't get anything from their local computers…_"

"-try and gain access to the server room. Yes, Jared. We know the instructions. You all but engraved them to the back of our eyelids before we left," Wolf muttered beside me.

"_It definitely boggles the mind how such a sarcastic bunch somehow landed in the hospitality industry. Remind me again why I signed up for this?_" Jared mumbled. I had a distinct impression he was shaking his head as he spoke.

"'Coz you like going Big Brother on us, that's why. In fact, you're like the big brother none of us wished we ever had," Wolf kidded.

Choosing to ignore their asinine banter and the nervous flutter in my stomach at the thought of having to deal with Plan B should Plan A prove to be a dud, I made my way across the entrance hall towards the East Wing where the library housed a multitude of computer terminals that were available for public use. A balding, dark-skinned gentleman manned the Information kiosk located off to the far side of the cavernous room.

With our planned speech on my tongue and my heavy backpack perched securely on my shoulders, I went straight to his desk.

As soon as we reached him, he greeted us with a genuine smile plastered on his portly, old face. "How can I help a couple of nice, young kids this fine evening?"

"Um…hi. My name is Goldfinger-" It was a name Rob gave me for this mission and when I had asked what it meant, he merely snickered and waved it off, saying it was the first name that popped into his head "-and this is my friend, Robin." Indicating Wolf with my thumb. "We're students over at NYU and we're doing a paper on the logistics of planet acquisitions and the role of Seekers in the success, or possible failure, of such endeavors. We were hoping you could direct us to the correct section for those periodicals. Or, better yet, you could let us know if there would be resources about it on the communal desktops here?" I asked in the most innocent voice I could manage. The inquiry was precise. Direct. No beating around the bush, as they say. Crossing my fingers, I anticipated he would give me an answer that was just as precise and direct and void of any suspicion.

True to Soul's form, or so I thought, he simply smiled and instructed us to head straight for the terminals. He hadn't indicated how we were to go about and retrieve such information. In fact, he was rather vague and had not been at all useful. It didn't seem as though he was even slightly wary of our reasons and it begged to question if he was just as clueless as the rest of us.

"Thank you-" I paused to glance at his name tag "Dark Night." Cocking my head to the side, I added, "Your name…may I ask what planet you were from?"

With a toothy grin, he said, "The Singing World or Bat Planet. And I must say what a wonderful place it is."

Chuckles suddenly erupted from our earpiece. I glanced at Wolf and he just shrugged, having no clue either as to what made the humans start laughing in their end. I didn't want to chance asking so I simply turned a saccharine smile towards Dark Night and said, "I'm sure it is a delightful place and I can't wait to learn more about that planet," hoping he hadn't caught the blatant fib there.

Despite the awkward exchange, Wolf and I soon found ourselves situated on two available stations beside each other and searching through the library's database with Rob spitting out rapid instructions through the earpiece. It had all proven to be pointless, unfortunately. None of the information we uncovered were any different from what we already knew.

Rob muttered a ripe curse then said, "_I'm sorry, Wanda._"

I started to say that it wasn't his fault, but then he added, "_I guess both of you will be going in after all_."

A cold chill ran up my spine. No matter how many times we ran through Plan B, it still never failed to cause butterflies to start fluttering in my gut. It was definitely risky, albeit the only chance we probably had.

Wolf must have noticed my hesitation because he laid a gentle hand on my shoulder and said, "It'll be fine, Wanda. I've done countless recon back in the army. You're in good hands with me."

"_The Salvation Army doesn't count, moron._" Rob.

"_Need I remind you of the hands-off policy, Wolf?_" Ian.

"_Enough of your macho bravado, O'Shea. It ain't that attractive._" Mel.

"_I'll show you 'attractive', Stryder._" Jared.

"Sheesh," Wolf muttered under his breath, "You'd think these idiots would be smart enough to tone down the sarcasm, threats and unnecessary quips to make sure we weren't distracted with our jobs. But obviously, even as smart as some of them are supposed to be, common sense just ain't so common after all."

For some absurd reason, their barbs actually managed to lessen the nervous jitters and I was able to compose myself again. Makes one wonder if they did that on purpose.

"C'mon. Let's just get this over with," I said, pulling his arm with me as I stood and readjusted my backpack on one shoulder.

We exited the room after a wave and a brief 'Thank You' to Dark Night. On our way past his desk, I grabbed one of the library maps/guides displayed beside him and made to peruse the contents as Wolf led us towards the elevators.

Based on the blueprints Rob procured prior to this trip, the server room would be on the second floor, through the Biography section, located somewhere in between Geography and Ancient History. There should be a service door all the way to the back of the Western wall.

Getting there was the easy part. Going through the door was not. And it wasn't in the metaphorical sense either.

Before my species took over this planet, an access code and a special key card would have been needed to gain access through that door. However now, even Rob wasn't sure if all that had changed and so wasn't able to come up with a fake ID for us or gain a couple of usable codes for entry. Possibly, given more time, he probably could have. And questioning an employee would not only be suspect, but would garner unwanted attention our way.

The only break we got in this dire situation was the fact that the Souls have decided to disable the security cameras in the building, disregarding their use as unnecessary and completely moot.

But being able to sidle among my kind with an agenda of total distrust was something I wasn't entirely comfortable with. Not even all the hours of planning can prepare me for it. Good thing Andrew made sure to have Wolf come with me. I was way over my head when I volunteered, only looking at it from the perspective of being more helpful for once. This wasn't a clandestine affair as it was manageable compared to the time I went into the clinic for Jaime.

No. This wasn't the same at all. And that was why my nerves were shot all to way to Arizona and back.

We entered the elevator with two other scholarly-looking individuals, both seemingly too preoccupied to notice anything else around them. Which was as well since we really weren't in the mood, or in the right mindset, for small talk, anyway.

The bell chimed signaling our arrival to our intended floor. In silence, Wolf and I exited the elevator, brushed past our two companions, and never looked back.

"_It looks like the coast is clear…I mean, considering the place is heavily populated and all; there aren't any beings we need to worry about. I don't see anyone wearing an ID badge in the perimeter,_" said Rob.

"Good," Wolf whispered. "Let's head over to the Geography section and make our way to the service door from there. It'd be too obvious to make a beeline straight from just exiting the elevator.

It didn't take long for us to locate the service door even though it had been partially concealed behind ten foot high bookshelves. But before we could breath a sigh of relief at the sight of a deactivated keypad next to its handle, the sound of male voices close by made us both stop dead on our tracks.

A few feet from the door, two men - probably in their late twenties or early thirties, based on their sizes - were chatting casually on a nearby table; books, periodicals and a few magazines were scattered haphazardly around them. Luckily, they were both faced away from us.

But unfortunately, their chatter ceased when the sound of our footsteps against the linoleum tiles echoed throughout the deserted area, alerting them of our presence.

"Dammit. Wanda, distract them while I think of a way to get us in," Wolf whispered then suddenly slipped down a nearby aisle before one of them turned their heads to face us...I meant, to face _me_; since Wolf somehow managed to disappear right into thin air. I immediately pretended to be interested in the books closest to me.

From the corner of my eye, I saw their gazes lingering on me before turning their backs on me again.

"What do I do?" I whispered so low into my earpiece, it was barely louder than a thought. I just hoped they still heard me at the other end.

"_Just stay calm, Wanda. I'm thinking, maybe you can approach them and ask for help locating a certain book. That'll hopefully draw them away from the door and give Wolf enough time to slip in_," Andrew suggested.

A loud growl sounded in my ear followed by a barely audible curse from Melanie.

"What do you mean 'give Wolf enough time to slip in'? I thought we were both going in together," I hissed, sliding behind a bookshelf.

"_Sorry, hun. Change of plans_," he said apologetically."_Wolf needs a good distraction and you're obviously _it_. Now I hate to do this to you, but you may have to turn up the charm – well, not that you aren't already bursting with it – but just a tad bit more to give Wolf enough time to slip in, scrounge around in the server room, check if Rob's hunch is correct, then leave without anyone noticing._"

"Oh, no. No, no, no. I'm not doing such a thing. Try to come up with something else that doesn't involve me having to deal with them or anything regarding turning on my-" (_cringe_)"-charm," I pleaded.

"_You heard her, Drew. Think of something else,_" Ian barked.

"_No can do. The only way for us to find answers is getting through that door. And in order to give Wolf a clear shot towards it without bringing attention to himself would be to make sure we take those men's attention away from it. And it's not like we can create some kind of diversion somewhere else. Wanda's _it!"

"_I hate to agree with Drew on this one, Wanda, but he's right. Besides, what's so bad about talking to fellow Souls anyway? You do it on a regular basis back at the Hotel_," Wolf said, adding his two cents.

"It's just….I dunno. Somehow I just have a bad feeling about this," I admitted.

"_It'll be okay. We'll guide you the entire time_," Andrew assured me.

Resigned, I sighed, "Okay. Okay. Fine. So what _exactly_ did you want me to do?"

Ian's curse rang out like a gong in my ears and I couldn't help but flinch at the unexpected sound. A loud crash soon followed suit.

"_Um…Ian, I think you need a break. You're not helping things here by acting like the jealous boyfriend. C'mon, I'll take you somewhere to cool that hot head of yours,_" Mel said. Then to Andrew, she asked, "_Mind if I took him to your room?_"

"_No. Not my room. I'm keeping Andrea sequestered there for the time being. I thought it would be prudent to keep her away from you guys for the duration of your stay. She already promised to stay out of your way. And,_" he quickly added, "_let's just say, let that be the end of that. I don't want to hear anything more in regards to her and her past. She intends to move on with her life and she doesn't need to deal with any of this. Can we be clear on that?_"

"_I wasn't going to say anything. But hey, _you_ brought it up,_" Mel replied rather flippantly.

Somehow I pictured Andrew rolling his eyes at that. "_Just take him to the master bedroom in Room 1313._"

"He _is still in the room and _he _can hear just fine, thank you very much_."

"_Well, good, then _you_ can take your own ass over there and let us do our jobs. Wanda's supposed to be doing the distracting, not you._"

"_Fine. But if any of them lay a hand on her or anything happens to her, it's your asses!_"

"_And yes, we like our derrières just fine,_" Andrew drawled.

"_Speaking of asses,_" Wolf piped in, "_I don't really want to act like one – Rob, shut it if you know what's good for you – but we're sort of in the middle of a mission here and I'd like to get back on track, if that's at all possible?_"

"Yes, lets," I agreed. "Best to get this over with. _So…_back to my question – what book _am_ I looking for?"

"_Ancient Mating Rituals of the Aboriginal Man: Their Habits and Controversial Practices – Illustrated Edition._"

Smack.

Rob's snicker could be heard clearly in the background.

"_You'd like that wouldn't you Rob? But I doubt that book's available since I distinctly remember seeing it under your mattress the other day_," Wolf hedged.

"_Rummaging around my porn stash again, eh, Wolf? The National Geographic one with those half-naked tribal women on the cover not doing it for you anymore?_"

Andrew, Jared and I let out a long exasperated sigh.

"Somebody shoot me and put me out of my misery," I beseeched.

Andrew cleared his throat. "_Alright. That's enough. We got to focus here, people. Wanda, I'm sorry to ask this of you but you'll have to act like a total ditz and ask them to help you look for a book that's no where within the topics of ancient history and geography; although the title might seem within the scope of both sections. That way, you'll be able to lead them far away from the door. You'll have to flirt a bit to make sure they don't just point you in the proper direction but have them escort you there as well._"

"_What_ book am I looking for?" I asked again.

"_The Kamasutra._"

"The _what_?"

"_The Kamasutra. And trust me; all human males know that book so I'm sure their Souls would have an idea what it is, too._"

"_Damn, boss. That's even worse than my own book suggestion_," Rob quipped.

Andrew ignored him which only managed to peak my curiosity.

"The Kamasutra," I repeated, waiting for him to explain but he didn't seem inclined to volunteer any more information about the book. I drew in a deep breath, as much for courage as it was for luck. "Okay. I trust you so let's just hope this works."

Before I could even take a step out of the bookshelf I'd been using as a buffer, Andrew suddenly told me to stop. "_Hold on, Wanda._"

Startled, "What? What is it?"

"_Uh….loosen up the first two buttons of your shirt and get rid of the hair tie._"

"Excuse me?"

"_You trust me, right? We need them a bit discombobulated and to do that, you'll need to show some skin. You won't be completely undressed but it'll give them a hint of…um_-" He cleared his throat._ "-cleavage; just enough to disorient them and make them forget their own names. Just because they're Souls doesn't necessarily mean they have complete control of how their bodies would react; especially how, or when, a certain male appendage of theirs - that I don't need to name - decides to rise up to the occasion when presented with just the slightest provocation._"

"You're killing me, Drew." Though I loathe the implications his suggestion would impart, I understood what he wanted and could appreciate the merit of it. Ian had already intimated as much when I'd shown up in yoga class wearing that overtly revealing yoga outfit. He'd said his _other_ head had taken over the thinking process. And even when he refused to expound on that statement, even as a Soul, I knew he meant something in the same lines of pheromones and how it assists gravity in redirecting blood flow from the brain to some other part of the male anatomy.

Tempting fate like this was a vile idea but as Jeb would call it, a "necessary evil." In the throes of war, it was only to be expected.

I was just glad they took Ian out of the room. I would hate for him to see me having to act like this.

Unhooking the top buttons of my shirt – but making sure my breasts were still effectively covered – then loosening my hair from its tight ponytail, I let the waves cascade down my back and hoped to whoever would listen that this little scheme would work. And that Ian would not think any less of me for agreeing to do this.

Without any more disruptions, I stepped out of the bookshelf again and strode straight towards the two men; determination – the only thing on my mind.

"Ahem…excuse me," I said, clearing my throat.

Both men immediately turned around to face me.

From their stunned looks and the phantom thud of their jaws hitting the floor – the term, sucker-punched didn't even come close – I'd say Andrew's foresight on the male psyche was dead on. Well, he is, in fact, _male_ so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he'd known it would elicit that kind of reaction from them.

Which begged the question, _would_ he have reacted the same way too?

I shook my head; opting not to entertain that particular train of thought.

By the time they finally regained their composures and picked up said jaws from the floor, I'd already sidled up to their table; all the while making sure their gazes were locked on me and away from the direction of the door.

"Y-yes?" One of the men asked. From far away, I hadn't been able to see what they looked like. Up close… Let's just say, I wouldn't be female if I'd said they weren't handsome men - both in their early thirties as I had earlier suspected - with bodies that could only be achieved by having taken permanent residence inside a gym. One had platinum blond hair, steel-grey eyes that seemed more like swirling pools of mercury as he took in my appearance from head to toe. He had pale skin and a build only a seasoned athlete could possess. Except for the straightness of his hair, I would think he was Michelangelo's David come to life; which was a stark contrast to his friend with the olive-toned skin, dark brown hair and striking green eyes that made it look like he just came from a GQ photo shoot himself.

(And yes, that magazine is still in circulation; with some obvious adjustments, of course. It is true that Souls are generally altruistic in nature but that doesn't deter from the fact that we are able to celebrate beauty – much the same way that we celebrate life – without the fear of pride, prejudice and jealousy to get in the way.)

Both wore button-down shirts of varying shades of grey and black slacks that accentuated their well-toned muscles and certain other assets. Their neckties hung loosely around the collars of their shirts.

And despite all that, I wasn't surprised that their perfect, chiseled features did nothing to spur any type of attraction or reaction from me. Except maybe for wariness and a whole lot of nervousness. But it wasn't because they were both unknowingly undressing me with their eyes. No, it had more to do with the fact that I was about to deceive my own species. Again.

"What can I do to you? I mean…what can I do _for_ you?" the one with the blond hair asked, quickly correcting his faux pas. But not before a cherry blush tainted his fair cheeks.

Hooking a stray strand behind my ear, I did what Andrew wanted me to do and asked, "I'm looking for a specific book and I was under the impression I'd find it around this section. But for the life of me, I have no idea where to start looking for it. Oh, by the way, the name's Wa-…I mean, Goldfinger. The name's Goldfinger," I said, introducing myself.

"Caillen," he said, standing up from his seat and extending his hand which I briefly shook before dropping it. "And my friend, Maddox." He inclined his head towards the other man beside him.

The other man also stood up and proffered his own hand to me. His, too, I only brusquely shook.

"Pleasure to meet your acquaintances," I smiled with playful innocence. "I like your names. They're quite interesting. Were those your human host's names as well?"

Caillen nodded. "They were already nice names. No reason why we should change it."

"Besides," Maddox added, "it's easier for everyone else to address us this way than with the ten and eighteen-word names we'd been initially born with."

"Aah. I figured as much. Funny how that happens more often than most."

Maddox shrugged. "Yeah. But we don't begrudge anyone for the assignment of the novel-length names to us. They're actually beautiful names but they sure are a mouthful."

I was about to ask them what they were when Wolf's anxious voice came through the earpiece. "_You're doing great, Wanda, but you need to start luring them away from their table. We haven't got much time._"

I cleared my throat and smiled. "Someday, I hope to have the pleasure of finding out what those names are. But as it is, I really do need to start searching for this book. You see, a friend of mine mentioned a book that really piqued my curiosity. It was a book that she, in turn, had heard about from another friend of hers. None of us have ever heard of it before and so I was extremely intrigued when even a search on the Internet failed to produce any results. But that friend of hers swears this book exists and I believe her. So I thought I'd pay a visit to the local library, hoping I'd be able to stumble upon at least one copy of it here."

"_Too intellectual, Wanda. Try to dumb down your vocabulary and sentence structures a bit_," Andrew suggested.

I gritted my teeth. Most people found it extremely difficult to engage in an intelligent conversation yet here I am, struggling to do just the opposite.

"I'm sure my friend and I can help you. What did you say the book's name was?" Caillen asked.

"The Kamasutra?" I supplied, although it came out more like a question.

Grey and green eyes widened; pale and tanned skin suddenly became flushed. Maddox choked on a laugh.

_Uh_...that's definitely not a good sign.

Then Caillen cocked a brow, a boyish grin lit up his face. "May I ask if you have any idea what that book is? Or were you merely curious?"

"No idea what that book is," I answered honestly. "And based on your reactions, I'm starting to think that I wouldn't want to know. But not enough that it will deter me from finding it, still."

Maddox leaned against the side of the table and crossed his arms around his muscular chest. "I'm surprised your friends are aware of that book. Had my human host not had a copy back then, I'd...never mind," he said, shaking his head with a chuckle.

I shrugged and shifted my backpack up my shoulders. "Curiosity does me in all the time, I suppose. But,"

"_Now pout your lips and pretend to play with your locket when you ask them to go with you in search of the book,_" Rob advised.

_Wanda, pretend this is Ian you're flirting with_, I told myself. _This is all pretend. A farce. This isn't real. Oh, for crying out loud..._

I did as he asked and almost immediately, their gazes darted down to my lips and, lower still, to the spot between my breasts where my locket rested. "-when my curiosity gets - oh, how do you say it? - _aroused_, there's no stopping me until I'm thoroughly-" I paused to run my tongue through my slightly chapped lips "-satisfied."

Both men gulped.

With an innocently seductive smile, I then asked, "So, would you two nice gentlemen care to help a lady _in need_ of desperate help?"

Caillen ran a hand through his platinum blond hair, mussing it up a bit. Then focusing glazed silver-grey eyes on my own again, he said, "Um...yeah. Of course. I'd be glad to help. Let me _um_...pack up over here and uh..." He didn't finish his sentence.

I turned puppy dog eyes to Maddox, biting my lower lip at the same time. "How about you, Maddox? The more help, the faster we can find that elusive book, I would think."

"Of course! I can never turn down a lady in distress. And might I say, what a gorgeous lady she is," he said with a wink. He, then, proceeded to pack up his things.

Now it was my turn to blush scarlet.

Five minutes later, the three of us made our way back to the elevators and were headed up to the fifth floor for the Documentaries section.

The seemingly long trip it took for us to reach our destination was riddled in silence. Well, at least on my end, it was.

"_Rob, you effing genius!_" Wolf had exclaimed. We were well aware of that little fact, but regarding what this time? I could only guess that Wolf had managed to slip through the service door right after we left and had gained access to the server room without problems, as well. The animated conversations between the Core and Wolf had revolved around his finding a huge contraption inside that room that obviously wasn't human-made. It wasn't connected to the Internet but, in fact, worked within its own complicated network.

I had been enthralled with Wolf's discovery but quickly realized their voices had made it a tad bit hard for me to concentrate. It was evidenced by the fact that I had stumbled twice on my own two feet and had bumped into Caillen at least once. All instances ending with him uncomfortably keeping me steady and preventing me from planting myself face-first into the marble floors.

"_Listen, Wanda. We don't want to get you distracted any more than you already are with all this techie talk so we'll be cutting off communication between you and Wolf for a while. He'll still be able to listen in on your conversations but you'll basically be on your own. Nod if you understand._"

Unfortunately, I did understand but it didn't mean I liked it one bit. Reluctantly, I nodded.

"Great!" Caillen exclaimed. "We can head straight there right after we find your book. There's this little cafe a block from here that serves the best tasting espresso you'll ever set your taste buds on. You might also like their extensive selection of herbal teas. Well, I say that only because everyone does," he chuckled.

"I- uh. What?"

"Tea. Or coffee. Whatever you prefer. The place isn't that far from here," he said.

_Hold on! I didn't agree to go anywhere with these guys! Or did I just? Oh no. _I groaned. _Andrew was right. I was too distracted. _

And he must have sensed my intention to cop out. "_You should go with them, Wanda. Wolf needs another hour or two down there. Keep these guys occupied just to make sure they don't go back to their table._"

Oh, joy.

But then again... Now that I don't have to go through with the pretense of having to find _the_ book - a book that I was starting to have a bad feeling about anyway...

"You know what, guys? Now that you mentioned coffee and tea, I am feeling a bit parched. How about we just head straight for the cafe instead? The book can wait another day. I'm sure it'll still be here tomorrow."

"All right by me," Caillen beamed. "Maddox?"

He grinned. "Best idea you've had all day, my friend."

An hour passed. Then two. Not a word came from Andrew or Wolf. Bile slowly climbed up my throat as my mind started conjuring scenarios I didn't even want to contemplate.

Did something go horribly wrong that they didn't want to alert me about? What exactly did Wolf discover in the server room that they decided to leave me out? Granted, Andrew did notify me beforehand they would be cutting off communication in their end. But for two whole hours without a single word? After only an hour of pure silence, I was even willing to settle for one of Rob's crazy quips. That was how bad I had started to worry. Something was definitely going on and it left me feeling queasy in my stomach.

Well, I suppose, that was the thing about panic. It didn't leave much room for sanity anymore.

"Would you two gentlemen excuse me for a bit?" Without giving them a chance to respond, I headed for the Ladies' Room.

Small favors here, the bathroom was for single occupancy only. I pulled out my locket, brought the camera to my face and Immediately called for Andrew.

"Andrew, what's going on in there? It's been two hours without a word from anyone! I can't stall here much longer!"

There was a flicker of static and Andrew's panicked voice came through the earpiece.

"_Bloody hell, Wanda! We all thought you've decided to bail out on us!_"

I jerked back. Confused. "What? What are you on about? And why would you think I'd do such a thing?"

He expelled a deep breath. Then after a seemingly long pause, he answered, "_Look, never mind. Just head on over to the rendezvous point. Wolf's been waiting for you there for the past ten minutes._"

"He's already there? Andrew, tell me what's going on!"

"_I'll explain when the two of you are back here at the Hotel safely. Try to loose your companions and head straight back to the van. Don't stop anywhere or try to talk to anyone on your way. Do you understand?_"

"I do but-"

"_No buts. Just go!_"

"Okay, okay. I'm going!"

I went through the motions of flushing the toilet and washing my hands before exiting the bathroom.

Caillen and Maddox were in the middle of an animated conversation about sports when I rejoined them.

Without meeting their gazes, I said, "Look, it's been fun, you two, but I really have to get going. My friends are expecting me back at our place soon. So, thank you so much for the company. I really have to run! Bye!"

I quickly strode out of the cafe and didn't look back even when they both had started calling my name. Making sure they didn't follow me out, I slipped into a deserted alleyway and waited a few seconds in the shadows. True enough, Caillen and Maddox both rushed past; clearly searching the streets for me. I brushed off the feeling of remorse that suddenly came over me, knowing this was what I had to do.

Later, I would remember the look on their faces and realize the disappointment that fell there.

The streets were still bustling with Souls walking about despite the lateness of the hour. I quickly made my way through the crowd, making sure to blend in with the background and trying not to draw any attention to me.

Wolf and I had parked the van a few blocks North of the library. Just as Andrew said, Wolf was already in the driver's seat, looking too anxious for wear. A sliver of relief flashed across his features a second before it was quickly replaced with one of apprehension and foreboding the moment he caught sight of me.

I shivered at his scrutinizing gaze, uncertain as to what had caused a shift in their attitudes.

"Where have you been?" he barked as soon as I settled myself in the front seat. "You almost gave me a heart attack! And so you know, I doubt Heal can cure me from that."

"In all honesty, Wolf, I really have no clue what's going on. I've been where Andrew instructed me to be all along."

He sighed, then flicked the ignition on. "You know what? I'm just going to let Andrew explain this one. It's been a long day for all of us and I'd like to go home now. We'll leave everything for the debriefing."

"All right," I agreed. As much as I wanted answers now, my mind was exhausted beyond help. And a few minutes into the drive, it wandered off into the great unknown.

* * *

**A/N (again): Did anyone catch the hidden meaning of Wanda and Wolf's aliases? Or the librarian's? Special shout out to you if you did. ;)**

**Disclaimer: A lot of the details I've given about the library are obviously made-up since I've never been inside it and relied only on pictures I've seen on the Internet for a general description of it. Please don't sue me! *wink***

**I've added pictures to my photobucket account of Caillen and Maddox and changed also my choice for Mel. Check it out here (remember to take out the spaces): **

**http : / s1217 . photobucket . com / albums / dd399 / RawSugarX23 / Anything %20 But / **

**Thanks for reading! Please review. A simple 'yay', 'nay' or 'whaddahey' will suffice. ;)**


	29. This is Not the End

**A/N: My apologies for the extended absence. **

**Once again, I give my heartfelt thanks to everyone who have given me their time to read this little story of mine, who've left reviews or simply added 'Anything But' to their Favorites & Alert list. You have my eternal gratitude. **

**And because of your continued support, I was able to battle my writing block demons and produce the next chapter. **

**The last chapter won't be as long so hopefully it won't take me years to finish it again. Like I promised before, I aim to finish this before the movie came out. (Can I get a big 'whoop!' for the movie? I'm excited!) Also, the Epilogue is mostly done; just some finishing touches here and there. **

* * *

**Wanda POV**

I looked down at the lone pill cradled on the palm of my hand, unsure whether to hand it to Ian or take it myself. An hour ago, I wouldn't have thought twice about offering it to him. Now? I wasn't so sure. The thought of downing it myself was starting to look too tempting to pass. I wondered if I could justify needing it more.

Ian was standing in front of me, nursing a bloody nose with one hand and holding up an ice pack against his bruised left eye with the other. Had I not witnessed similar cuts and bruises on Andrew's face, I probably would have gone into a state of panic at the assumption he had gotten into a scuffle with the Seekers -details and semantics be damned. As it was, I only ended up with one heck of a migraine exactly ten minutes from the time Wolf and I set foot at Waldorf-Astoria.

_We arrived at the Core to a sight that was as surreal as a scene from the action movies that Rob was fond of playing on the massive monitors when Andrew wasn't around. A few chairs had been overturned, tables were left askew in haphazard patterns across the floor and paperwork had been thrown carelessly like confetti on a ticker-tape parade. But the main attraction at the center of this circus was the fisticuff exchange between two of my favorite men: Ian and Andrew. Choice words were exchanged between them as they recklessly threw punches and dodged the other's blows while everyone else egged them on._

_A shrill whistle came out from behind me. I turned around to look at the origin of the sound. And from the corners of my eye, I saw others in the room had done the same. Even then, it did little to catch the attention of the two men who were both too busy using each other's faces as punching bags. _

_Wolf spread his arms wide and asked, "What is this? You guys decide to host an MMA tournament and no one thinks to wait for me?" He lowers his arms and shakes his head in apparent mock disappointment. "You guys wound me." Even though I knew he was kidding, I noted an undertone of whining hidden there somewhere._

_Ian and Andrew finally halted in mid-punch. If I hadn't been so horrified at the violence being displayed, I would have thought the looks of chagrin on their faces were rather comical. Disturbing yet cartoonish especially the way they immediately scrambled away from each other as if they'd been caught with their hands in the cookie jar right before dinner. _

_Wolf merely raised an eyebrow when silence was the only thing that answered his question._

_Andrew chanced a glance at Ian, then at Wolf and me, before he let out a sigh of defeat and asked, "Would you like the whole, unadulterated truth or the watered-down, politically-correct version of it?_

_"Is there a difference?" I asked._

_"Depends on who's asking."_

_"Why would it matter?"_

_"Because it's the difference between you getting mad at me and you getting _really_ mad at me."_

_I rolled my eyes at his assumption. "I don't see that happening any time soon."_

_"You never know. But in case you haven't noticed, I'm a rather cautious man."_

_Getting frustrated by his deflective responses and, at the same time, apprehensive of what it could almost mean, I practically barked, "Just spill it!" _

_"Alright! Alright!" Andrew ran both his hands through his hair, pulling slightly at the ends. "It was all just one, big misunderstanding."_

_Something black whizzed past his head which barely missed his temple by a scant inch. Had it not been for his quick reflexes, it would have nailed him right in the middle of his forehead._

_"For fuck's sake, O'Shea!" Andrew bellowed._

_Ian grunted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Misunderstanding, my ass. I thought you were going to give Wanda the whole, unadulterated truth. Just tell her exactly what happened, Drew, and don't you dare think to skim off the more pertinent details like, say, the part where you became an exceptional dumbass."_

_"Gentlemen, please! Are all this crass language and barbaric behavior absolutely necessary?" I had to screech to be heard above the growls emanating from both men. _

_And the room fell quiet again. Great._

_Normally I would have covered my face and ran, uncomfortable at all the eyes that were locked on me and at the same time, be embarrassed at what I had just done. But for once, I surprisingly found myself not caring at all. Because 1) I was tired – ever since the afternoon Ian, Mel and Jared arrived at Sanctuary, my sleep had been cut down to almost nil; 2) I was hungry – those hotdog stands outside the library really stirred something in my belly; and 3) Because I was surprisingly already ticked off…all because of reasons 1 and 2._

_Andrew sighed and the reluctance in which he parted his next words was evident with each syllable he spoke. "Remember how your spy camera is concealed in your locket?" he asked, nodding at the sterling silver pendant that rested in between my breasts._

_"Yes," I replied, unconsciously lifting my hand towards it, feeling the cold metal against my fingertips._

_"Well," he said with a smirk, "let's just say, both those men were rather fond of it and couldn't seem to get their gazes away from it. And we would know. We definitely had an eyeful of their stares." Then he mumbled something that sounded like 'or the general area around it' but I wasn't so sure._

_I let his words sink in for a moment but when the implication of what he meant finally registered, it made me gasp. "Oh no! Do you mean to say that they suspected that I had a hidden camera in it? Had they figured everything out?" _

_My pulse raced and I felt the blood leaving my face. Are we busted? What's going to happen now? Are they on their way to notify the Seekers about us? This is entirely my fault! A sinking feeling started settling in the pit of my stomach. _

_"I can't even manage to distract two men and that's all I was supposed to do! I blew the mission. I just know it!" _

_I knew I was babbling but, once again, I realized that I didn't care. I was disgusted with myself and my ineptitude at completing such a simple task. Nothing could tamper down the hysteria that was starting to consume me and if I hadn't belatedly remembered that I was a big girl, I just might have broken down and cried._

_Andrew blinked; a confused look blanketed his face. "Jesus H. Christ. What are you on about, Wanda?"_

_"My locket! That's what they kept on looking at, am I right? They figured out it was a camera and I got busted and that's what you're trying to tell me! And...and now everyone here is in danger because of me!"_

_Silence briefly descended upon the room before Rob suddenly burst out laughing. Immediately I could feel my skin prickle and flush red. Later I would figure out if it was from anger or embarrassment. At the moment, it was rather hard to tell._

_Wolf chuckled. "Damn, woman. You're denser than Rob's unnaturally thick skull."_

_"Hey! I take offense to that!" Rob exclaimed._

_Wolf snorted. "Like you didn't know. Your skull's so thick, you'd probably survive a point blank shot to the head."_

_Rob snorted. "Probably."_

_I felt my eyebrows draw in in confusion. Now it was my turn to feel lost. Shouldn't everyone be in a state of panic right about now instead of throwing barbs at each other? _

_I met Ian's piercing blue eyes, and with slight hesitation on his part, he made his way towards me. _

_"What they're trying to tell you, Wanda, is that Andrew," he paused and glared at the man in question, "forgot to un-Mute your earpiece. So when Wolf finished and was making his way towards the van, Andrew tried to instruct you to rendezvous back with him. But since you couldn't hear a thing, it seemed you were ignoring it; which roughly translated to a panic situation here at the Core when they couldn't communicate with you for more than an hour. They all thought you had decided to abandon us. I insisted that Wolf went after you but Andrew claimed it would've done more harm than good. I thought he decided to throw you to the sharks so they can catch you willingly with their teeth."_

_I was stunned. "You couldn't have possibly thought that of me, could you? Honestly, do none of you even trust me at all?" I looked straight at Ian and asked, "Despite all we've been through and all we had to do to get to this place, you really thought I would simply throw that away like some object that has long outlived its purpose? Did you really think I would run back to them the first real chance I get?" For them to quickly to come to the conclusion that I would betray their trust that easily really stung. _

_"It's not you, Wanda. It's- -" _

_I threw my hands in the air in exasperation. "Oh, great. Is this the part where you all say, 'It's not you, it's me.' and all that nonsense? I've come across my share of romance novels in my time here that I've read that clichéd line over and over again. And guess what? Nothing good ever comes of it. It's only when everyone involved have exhausted all their tears and they finally realized that their prides had singularly managed to kick them in their asses do they decide to grovel back to the each other, only to find out it was already too late. So before you continue with that train of thought, I suggest that you think first and think hard. Even Souls can have their limits." _

_"I was about to say...it's our insecurities," said Ian. "But you are right. That's basically the same thing. And I apologize for myself for that. So as you've clearly pointed out and how clichéd this would also come out, it's not you that we don't trust. It's—"_

_"Them. Yes, I'm familiar with that line too."_

_"Because it's true," Andrew pointed out. "Although time may have civilized us after all these centuries, it has also turned us into a bunch of cynics and distrustful creatures. Over the years, we've learned to be cautious. Given our history, it was easy to think such things. But I take full blame of it. It was my fault and I apologize profusely for that mistake. We gave you our trust and you've not done anything wrong to garner such disrespect from us. I threw you out there and I panicked the moment things didn't go as planned."_

_Andrew came up to me and held both of my hands in his. "I'm sorry, Wanda. Forgive me?"_

_I looked up into a once perfect face that was now covered in bruises and blood trickling down one nostril. He tried to give me a battered up puppy dog look but failed miserably since his left eye was practically swelled shut. But deep in my heart, I knew he meant it. As Mel once told me, this was the difference between Souls and Humans – Souls trusted without hesitation; Humans trusted only when all avenues of distrust have been thoroughly destroyed. I cannot fault him for that._

_"Apology accepted." I gave him a smile that showed I clearly meant it. _

_His relief was palpable as he released my hands and gave me a smile that said, 'I am in your debt.' Again._

_Relaxing, I turned to Ian, "Okay, so I understand the panic. But what's with the brawl?_

_I felt his body tense beside mine before he answered, "They tried to kick me out of the Core so you can concentrate and so that I'd stop cursing every poor fellow who had the misfortune of standing close to you. Reluctantly, I did just so I could clear my head for a bit and give them a couple hours of reprieve. When I came back… Well, the sight of two men looking straight at us through the camera in your locket, with drool practically dripping from their mouths, wasn't the best thing to convince me that that wasn't the reason they wanted me to leave in the first place. And so, I let hell loose on Drew." Ian moved his jaw around to loosen the kinks with his hand and added, "Damn fool didn't tell me he'd taken to mixed martial arts since the last time we saw each other."_

That was an hour ago.

Ian and I had left the Core and retired to his assigned room shortly after the debriefing.

Part of me was relieved that it had all been a misunderstanding. The other part was still raw with apprehension and anxiety. I wasn't sure everything would be alright now even with the discoveries at the library.

From the quick recap they gave me, Wolf found the contraption in the room where the old servers used to be. He was able to hack into one of its terminals using the Soul's own transponders they had left lying around and managed to secure a heavily encrypted connection to the Core. Rob was able to access it all the way from the comforts of his revolving chair.

Turns out, the huge contraption was the Soul's own data link; a satellite that connected all major cities from all over the world to each another, a com server that was a thousand times more powerful than what human technology could even dream to come up with. And not only that, it was a communication outpost that broadcasted signals directly to the other planets they've invaded as well.

It was with Robs help that Wolf was able to infiltrate their system quite easily. The Souls never imagined the continued presence of human rebels within the major cities; much less have them discover the existence of such a device had been stashed inside a library, of all places. And so, they hadn't even bothered to put up any precautions or some sort 'firewalls' to protect their infrastructure from malicious entities. They completely underestimated the resilience and determination of these humans.

When Rob was explaining it, his eyes were lit up like the grand chandeliers of the hotel; all bright and full of excitement, like a kid getting handed the key to the Universe. In this case, it actually was. According to him, it was a breakthrough of epic proportions; an opportunity to challenge his skills against alien technology. Not that it really mattered much. All Wolf had to do was write a quick translation code for Rob and it was as if the entire Soul history was served to him in a silver platter.

Simple translation – it was the first spark of hope for the human race and the proverbial stone that marked the start of the pavement that lead to Florida.

"Are you going to take that?" Ian asked. He'd already abandoned the ice pack and was eyeing the pill version of Heal on my hand.

"I'm tempted. Really tempted. But I suppose, seeing your unnecessary injuries, that you probably still need this more than I do."

Injuries forgotten, he smiled and pulled me into an embrace. I let his masculine scent wash through me as I nestled into his hold. With one arm keeping me close, he gently cupped my cheek with his free hand, leaned in and whispered against my ear, "Smart girl. Although I can be persuaded to just let you have it." He gently nipped my earlobe and added, "For a price."

"Price?" I whimpered. His breath was warm and it tickled my ear.

"Oh, you know... if you let me kiss you here." He planted a soft kiss on the side of my neck. My body shivered at the contact of his lips on my sensitive skin, sent tingles all the way from my toes to the tips of my fingers. It had only been a few hours but I sorely missed his lips.

"Or maybe here." He lowered his hand from my waist to my hips in a slow caress of their curves; lower still as he lightly spread his fingers across the mounds of my butt; then reached down to stroke the one place that was sure to ignite the fire inside me. "I can give great kisses especially down there. In fact, I've been told this tongue of mine should be bronzed."

"Ian…"

"What do you say, Wanda?" He purred. "Maybe I'll strip you down to your birthday suit and lick you all over again with some chocolate and whipped cream on your nipples and in between your thighs? Would you like that?"

Without a second thought, I shoved the pill down his throat, grabbed his hand and tugged him toward his bedroom.

* * *

While I was under a short nap which I had been forced to acquiesce to (and ultimately threatened if I didn't), everyone had pitched in to help us pack for the long drive back home. Even Rob left the technological bubble he was in and took the time to show Jared some knick knacks that he thought would come in handy someday on our raids.

They filled our van almost at full capacity with supplies that one would never find any more at Soul-occupied general stores – a case of contact lenses, lens solution and a few dozen pairs of dark tinted sunglasses. Nate had left us a case, or two, of weapons and several boxes of ammunition rounds and shotgun shells, Rob 'lent' us a box of his magazine subscriptions that Ian refused to let me see, and Wolf packed in a cooler filled with Ben & Jerry's and a lot of dry ice.

The most interesting thing of all that they've given us – much to Rob's displeasure but to everyone's unanimous approval – was his beloved potbelly pig, Babe, who had been induced with a tiny dose of 'Sleep' that put her out of commission for the duration of the trip. Andrew decided it would be more prudent for a pet to freely roam a cave instead of Hotel corridors where someone could accidentally come across it and find it highly suspicious that a pig has been left loose within its walls. Rob had agreed then on the one condition that no one turned her into bacon. Or pork chops, for that matter.

Jared wasn't too enthused with the idea but found the wisdom of it. It would be safer for everyone all around. Plus, I assume he's already anticipating taking a picture of Jeb's shocked expression when we come strolling in with a pig in our midst. I'm sure Kyle would get a kick out of it as well.

Later that night, we all said our thanks and goodbyes to the people at Waldorf Sanctuary. Hugs and well wishes were exchanged, and silent prayers were made to see each other again. Most were there to see us off while some, as Andrew notified us, left earlier that day to complete their own missions as well. Such a shame because I wanted to at least give my thanks to Nate and the little band of misfits we first met at the desert.

The ride back was mostly uneventful this time; possibly because I was passed out for a good majority of the trip and had no clue if anything eventful did happen. Not that they would have awoken me if that were the case. If truth be told, they probably would have done their best to keep me unaware and thus, panic-free.

We all took turns behind the wheel so we didn't have the need to sleep over at any motels except to make the occasional stops to relieve ourselves.

Mel had asked if I still had the weird strawberry shake and fries craving with this body. When I said yes, she made sure we passed by for some drive through before we reached the caves. As much as I tried to entice them, they never fell for the weird concoction. It was obviously an acquired taste; one that apparently only I had.

And as it turned out, it was exactly what I needed to relieve some of the anxiety I felt at the reception that would await us. Jared assured us they would understand. Well, at least the ones who mattered most would. As long as Aaron and Brandt told them exactly what they were supposed to, they were confident it will be all okay.

Problem was, Aaron and Brandt didn't know about my switch and wouldn't be able to explain the disappearance of Andrea's body and the sudden appearance of this one. It would be like going back to square one again. I wasn't looking forward to the inquisition and their brand of interrogation.

But on the positive side, at least this body can outrun mostly everyone in the caves now. I suppose it was one way to look at things.

Ian must have felt my unease for he held my hand as soon as we crossed the borders of Arizona. I immediately clung to him and he wrapped me in his arms in silent promise that he won't let anything happen to me. It was the strength of his conviction that gave me some semblance of hope. That maybe, just maybe, it would be alright.

"You guys okay back there?" Mel called from the front of the van.

"Just peachy," Ian mumbled.

"Good. The entrance is coming up. You both better brace yourselves. I see people."

With one last squeeze, Ian released me. But before he adjusted himself to a more upright position, he leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. It was a brief kiss but still managed to get my heart racing. "I'm here with you. It won't be like the last time. You have friends now who care that you're alive."

I tried to be brave. I wanted to show Ian that I was brave. But all the confidence I had when I decided to give up Andrea's body disappeared into a puff of smoke and all that came out of my mouth was, "I'm scared."

He hesitated for a bit before he said, "We have weapons here if it'll make you feel better."

Despite my fear, I smacked Ian on the arm. "That's not helping! You know I wouldn't pull a gun to any of them!"

With a chuckle, he reached behind me to the small crate that housed the slumbering pig. Opening the lid, he grabbed Babe's leash and placed it on my hand.

"Listen, Wanda. I know it will be fine but if you want some insurance, hold the pig. The people in the caves have not seen a live animal for as long as they've been cooped up in these of pile of rocks. They wouldn't try to shoot you with her in your arms. I think it's unnecessary but it'll give you some peace of mind. Would that make you feel better?"

He looked at me with piercing blue eyes that was both concerned and yet, amused.

I bit my lip, thought about it, and exhaled. "Okay, I'll take the pig."

"I'll be behind you with a shotgun in case they do get ideas about making bacon out of him," Jared said with a chuckle as he glanced at us through the rear view mirror.

"Jared!" Mel screeched. "You are incorrigible!"

"Incorrigible? No. Encourageable, maybe," he retorted.

"That is not a word and you know it!"

"Prove it on spellcheck or with a dictionary. Until you can find either, I say it is."

I've known Mel long enough to know she was rolling her eyes right now.

Darkness enclosed the van and it was apparent that we had just driven into the mouth of the cave. Muted shouts and conversation surrounded us. One squeaky voice rose out amongst the others and I knew right away Jaime was outside. It was no question he would be. I was actually surprised he hasn't broken down the doors yet to get to his sister.

"Mel! Jared! Wanda! Ian!" You're back!"

Ian crouched towards the back doors of the van. He paused to look over his shoulder and wink at me, before turning the latch and stepping out to meet the crowd.

Mild streams of light flooded in but it was enough to make me squint. I was relatively hidden behind some crates so my view of the outside was still obscured.

I heard the shouts of welcome that probably assaulted him. I can already imagine Kyle putting him on a headlock when I heard a grunt that was immediately followed by bouts of laughter.

Then I heard Jaime calling for me. Jeb and Trudy too.

"Wanda?"

"Where's Wanda?"

"How about Wanda?"

A few had joined in on the questioning too.

Call me 'chicken' but I was rather comfortable in my position. Well, not really since the cramped quarters of the van barely offered any comforts and all. As much as my joints and muscles were screaming to be stretched out, my nerves kept me from getting up.

But I knew there was no point in delaying the inevitable. So I took a deep breath and steeled my resolve. Clutching Babe tightly against my bosom, I slowly made my way towards the opening of the van. She started to squirm and wake from her deep slumber but I held on tight as if she were my only life line.

I kept my eyes averted to the floor so when my feet hit the ground, I was taken by surprise when I was met with a bone-crushing hug from the side that made Babe squeal in protest.

"Jaime?' I croaked.

He held on despite the screaming bundle in my arms.

"I missed you, Wanda! Don't ever do that again, you hear me?"

"Okay," I promised. Even though I had no clue what I just promised not to do again.

Come to think of it, how did he know it was me inside this body? He must not have seen me properly yet but just assumed it was me the moment he saw someone else step out of the van. That could only be it. Why else would he greet me with so much familiarity?

But when he finally let go and I had a chance to finally look straight into his eyes, I noticed he didn't even seem surprised at all. I looked past his head to survey my surroundings; no one else showed any hint of shock either. Everyone went about unloading the van like nothing was amiss. In fact, the confused looks were only the ones on Jared, Mel and Ian's faces. It was likely mirrored on mine too.

"Pig! Pig! Pig!"

Isaiah and Freedom's excited squeals bounced around the walls of the cave. And the next thing I knew, two sets of tiny hands were trying to pry Babe from my hold.

"Pig! Play! Please, Wanda!"

I chanced a glance at Lucina then at Ian. His brows furrowed but eventually, he gave me a nod of encouragement. I gently lowered her to the ground.

Before surrendering her leash to them, I introduced her to the boys. "Her name is Babe. She was a gift from really good people and I promised them we'd be very careful with her. Can you promise the same thing too?"

Both heads bobbed enthusiastically. "We promise!"

They bolted away with a quick 'Thanks, Wanda!' over their shoulders; the groggy potbelly trailing behind but obviously trying hard to keep up with her short little legs.

"Glad to have you all back," Jeb beamed.

"What's going on, Jeb?" Jared asked without preamble.

Before Jeb could answer, someone spoke from behind us.

"Took you guys long enough to get here."

The four of us spun around at the sound of that familiar voice.

"Nate?" I gasped. "What are you doing here? And…oh!"

Andrea stepped out from behind him.

"What is she doing here?" Mel asked. Her question was without her usual bite and unexpectedly held genuine curiosity. "What, in all that is holy, is going on in here?"

It was only then did I notice the black sedan parked deep inside the mouth of the cave; barely concealed by the shadows that engulfed it.

"Obviously Andrew never told you." Nate grinned. "We're the advance party."

"The what now?"

"Ad-Vance Par-Tee," he said with deliberate enunciation of each syllable. "Drew figured you guys could use the help especially in explaining everything before you lot got here. It would be easier for Wanda to be accepted. That's why Andrea's here with me. They wouldn't have believed it without seeing her in the flesh with their own eyes. And it was on the way to California anyway. We've got business to do there."

Jared didn't look too convinced. "You mean to tell me that Drew sent you both here just to warn everyone about Wanda's new body?"

He shrugged. "In a nutshell, yes."

"Don't worry," Andrea piped in. "We're not staying. We only came here to do just that. And now that we did, Nate and I are leaving."

"So soon?" I asked. I felt Ian's hand grab mine and the slight pressure he added made me wonder if he didn't want me pursuing that line of thought.

She glanced briefly at Ian before returning defeated eyes back at me. "Despite what you might think, Wanda, I'm not out to get you. Andrew knew it would be difficult to explain what happened. That's why he sent me with Nate. He predicted they weren't going to listen based on his word alone. And besides, Andrew said he owed you."

She gave me a look that clearly said 'don't think too much of it.' Which I knew I wouldn't be able to do.

"I'm surprised they didn't give you a hard time once they saw an unknown car coming in from the distance," Jared mused.

"We were lucky Brandt was manning the lookout when we got here," Nate explained. "He recognized the car and I guess it helped that I had Andrea waving a white flag out the window."

"And Jeb didn't try to shoot you still as soon as you got within range of his shotgun?" Mel quipped.

Jeb snorted. "Think what you like, Missy. I don't go around cocking my gun at every stranger I come across."

If my hearing served me right, I could've sworn I heard Ian mutter something like '_you could've fooled me, ye old, crazy coot.'_

Nate smiled at me and said, "You're a part of our dysfunctional family now, Wanda. And we take care of our own."

They both left after a few minutes, taking with them the weight that was lifted off our shoulders.

* * *

**A/N (again): Please take the few seconds it takes to write a review. You don't have to give a long paragraph, if you don't want to. Any feedback will be appreciated – good, bad, indifference to it, or whatever. **


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